A male giant tortoise named Diego is known as a “playboy” for saving all his species from extinction with his “rampant” sex life. Now 100 years old, he will retire and return to nature with his mission accomplished.
According to one CNN report, Diego’s active sex life was considered one of the main reasons for the survival of giant tortoises in Española, part of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, after being transported from the San Diego Zoo under a breeding program.
When the tortoise began its “promiscuity campaign”, there were only two males and 12 females of that species on the island. But Diego’s charm was such that the population increased to over 2000 turtles. The Galapagos National Parks service believes that Diego is the patriarch of about 40% of this population.
“Him [Diego] contributed a large percentage to the line we are returning to Española, “Jorge Carrion, the park’s director, told AFP.” There is a sense of happiness that the turtle will be able to return to its natural habitat. “
A total of 15 turtles participated in the program increasing the island’s population, but none played such an important role as Diego.
“About 1800 turtles have been returned to Española and now, with natural reproduction, we have about 2000,” said Carrion. “It shows that they are able to grow, to reproduce, to develop.”
The Galapagos Islands are one of the world’s leading wildlife viewing destinations and were visited by Charles Darwin while working on the theory of evolution.
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