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June 25, 2012 / 11:04 AM

Lonesome George, giant tortoise and last of his kind, has died

Last of his kind, Lonesome George has died. (Image courtesy A. Davey)

Last of his kind, Lonesome George has died. (Image courtesy A. Davey)

Lonesome George, a tortoise said to be the last of his subspecies, has died at his Galapagos National Park home in Ecuador.

Believed to be about 100 years old, Lonesome George died young, as most Pinta tortoises can live to be 200.

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According to BBC News, Lonesome George left no offspring--the eggs he produced with a nearby female tortoise were infertile.

George's subspecies, Chelonoidis nigra abingdoni, once roamed the Galapagos islands in abundant numbers. George's death means that they are probably now extinct.

BBC's Simon Reeve had the good fortune to meet Lonesome George in 2009 on a visit to the Galapagos islands--seen at the two-minute mark in this video:

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