Pinta Island Tortoise (Chelonoidis abingdonii)  

This species was described in 1877, it was endemic to the somewhat isolated Isla Pinta aka. Abingdon Island in the northern part of the Galápagos archipelago.

The species was thought to be extinct, when in 1971, a last individual was located, it was a male that was named ‘Lonesome George’ and was relocated to the Charles Darwin Research Station on Isla Santa Cruz for his safety.

Several attempts at mating Lonesome George with females of other tortoise species were unsuccessful, possibly because his species was not cross-fertile with the other species.

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Lonesome George (see photo), the last member of its species, died at 24 June 2012.

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It seems that there are still some individuals in existence that at least harbor some DNA of this extinct species within their blood.

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edited: 01.06.2021