[00:02.75]Unit 19 Communication Language Awareness 4
[00:08.70]Lonesome Male of the Galapagos
[00:11.60]Jo Tuckman on the Galapagos Islands
[00:14.83]Celebrity is not usually a characteristic
[00:17.49]associated with middle-aged giant tortoises
[00:20.39]from the Galapagos Islands.
[00:22.26]However, few have been so influenced
[00:24.68]by humanity as Lonesome George.
[00:27.25]Fame came to George in 1971
[00:29.74]when he was discovered on the tiny uninhabited
[00:32.14]island of Pinta.
[00:33.86]He is known to be the last surviving member
[00:36.40]of his sub-species
[00:38.04]but it is hoped that George will pass
[00:39.89]on his genes to a new generation.
[00:42.73]B The numbers of Galapagos tortoises
[00:45.06]are said to have begun their decline
[00:46.74]when it was realized
[00:47.66]that they could supply excellent fresh meat
[00:49.32]for passing ships,
[00:51.45]because they were know to be able to survive
[00:53.63]for six months without food and water.
[00:56.65]Nevertheless, it was the effect of the goats
[00:58.83]introduced to the Galapagos
[01:00.33]by the early settlers
[01:01.84]that are understood to have destroyed
[01:03.62]the ecological balance
[01:05.03]on the islands and the livelihood
[01:07.83]of George's clan.
[01:08.13]