RIP Lonesome George
June 24, 2012 4:24 PM Subscribe
Lonesome George has died. George, the last specimen of the Pinta Island subspecies of the Galapagos Island Tortoise, was estimated to have been around 100 years old.
Efforts to mate George with females of related subspecies had failed.
poor old chelonian
posted by chelegonian at 4:26 PM on June 24, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by chelegonian at 4:26 PM on June 24, 2012 [1 favorite]
poor old chelonian
posted by chelegonian at 4:26 PM on June 24 [+] [!]
Eponystegerical.
posted by univac at 4:27 PM on June 24, 2012 [6 favorites]
posted by chelegonian at 4:26 PM on June 24 [+] [!]
Eponystegerical.
posted by univac at 4:27 PM on June 24, 2012 [6 favorites]
ᾯ
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 4:29 PM on June 24, 2012 [11 favorites]
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 4:29 PM on June 24, 2012 [11 favorites]
Aww. Did they have to put "lonesome" in his name? I know it was accurate, but it seems mean.
posted by Uppity Pigeon #2 at 4:36 PM on June 24, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by Uppity Pigeon #2 at 4:36 PM on June 24, 2012 [2 favorites]
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posted by godshomemovies at 4:37 PM on June 24, 2012
posted by godshomemovies at 4:37 PM on June 24, 2012
I would like to think that ol Georgie boy was a total badass and player back in the days. The type of tortoise who knew all the cool places at the beach, who was always getting it on with the ladies and still the perfect the gentleman, the kind of tortoise who gave the impression of cool indifference but would always keep an eye on the younglings while their parents were off to gather food. A terrible thing to be a legend and the last of your kind.
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posted by Foci for Analysis at 4:40 PM on June 24, 2012 [4 favorites]
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posted by Foci for Analysis at 4:40 PM on June 24, 2012 [4 favorites]
I am now going to walk very very slowly to the kitchen to munch on a head of lettuce.
posted by notme at 4:43 PM on June 24, 2012 [46 favorites]
posted by notme at 4:43 PM on June 24, 2012 [46 favorites]
for not just an individual, but an entire subspecies:
.
posted by hippybear at 4:45 PM on June 24, 2012 [4 favorites]
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posted by hippybear at 4:45 PM on June 24, 2012 [4 favorites]
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posted by desjardins at 4:48 PM on June 24, 2012
posted by desjardins at 4:48 PM on June 24, 2012
That is sad. I love turtles and tortoises. There is a nice little zoo near us called Turtleback Zoo that used to have some giant tortoises.
posted by mermayd at 4:59 PM on June 24, 2012
posted by mermayd at 4:59 PM on June 24, 2012
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posted by mondo dentro at 5:04 PM on June 24, 2012
posted by mondo dentro at 5:04 PM on June 24, 2012
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posted by shakespeherian at 5:05 PM on June 24, 2012
posted by shakespeherian at 5:05 PM on June 24, 2012
Godspeed, George.
posted by Capt. Renault at 5:07 PM on June 24, 2012
posted by Capt. Renault at 5:07 PM on June 24, 2012
I visited George five years ago. There were attractive lady tortoises suggestively munching grass all around him, but he was content to wallow in his pool alone. As my father would say whenever one of our pet turtles died, George was a good tortoise.
posted by yellowbinder at 5:08 PM on June 24, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by yellowbinder at 5:08 PM on June 24, 2012 [3 favorites]
.
Poor George.
I hope gets l lucky in Tortoise Heaven.
posted by Mezentian at 5:15 PM on June 24, 2012
Poor George.
I hope gets l lucky in Tortoise Heaven.
posted by Mezentian at 5:15 PM on June 24, 2012
.
posted by clone boulevard at 5:18 PM on June 24, 2012
posted by clone boulevard at 5:18 PM on June 24, 2012
Esio trot, buddy.
posted by pemberkins at 5:19 PM on June 24, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by pemberkins at 5:19 PM on June 24, 2012 [2 favorites]
Hmm, it looks like there may be another of his kind.
A terrible thing to be a legend and the last of your kind.
One of the benefits of being a tortoise and not a person is that who knows how much it mattered to George. He got to hump on lady tortoises and hang out and munch green things. A good tortoise life.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 5:20 PM on June 24, 2012 [6 favorites]
A terrible thing to be a legend and the last of your kind.
One of the benefits of being a tortoise and not a person is that who knows how much it mattered to George. He got to hump on lady tortoises and hang out and munch green things. A good tortoise life.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 5:20 PM on June 24, 2012 [6 favorites]
To be fair, "LonesomeGeorge98" as his PlentyOfFish handle probably wasn't helping his social life any.
posted by LordSludge at 5:21 PM on June 24, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by LordSludge at 5:21 PM on June 24, 2012 [1 favorite]
Efforts to mate George with females of related subspecies had failed.
How does that work, when you're a 100 year old tortoise? "Hey George, my sister has a friend that I think would be right for you. Would you like to meet her?" "No, not really. But thanks, my friend. I'm used to swimming alone now."
posted by twoleftfeet at 5:22 PM on June 24, 2012
How does that work, when you're a 100 year old tortoise? "Hey George, my sister has a friend that I think would be right for you. Would you like to meet her?" "No, not really. But thanks, my friend. I'm used to swimming alone now."
posted by twoleftfeet at 5:22 PM on June 24, 2012
Efforts to mate George with females of related subspecies had failed.
How does that work, when you're a 100 year old tortoise? "Hey George, my sister has a friend that I think would be right for you. Would you like to meet her?" "No, not really. But thanks, my friend. I'm used to swimming alone now."
I'm at this point reminded that Crush the sea turtle in Finding Nemo was 150. And he was pretty sprightly and seemed to be hip to all the groovy lingo the longhairs are using nowadays.
posted by hippybear at 5:28 PM on June 24, 2012
How does that work, when you're a 100 year old tortoise? "Hey George, my sister has a friend that I think would be right for you. Would you like to meet her?" "No, not really. But thanks, my friend. I'm used to swimming alone now."
I'm at this point reminded that Crush the sea turtle in Finding Nemo was 150. And he was pretty sprightly and seemed to be hip to all the groovy lingo the longhairs are using nowadays.
posted by hippybear at 5:28 PM on June 24, 2012
I was feeling kind of sad about this but yellowbinder and PhoBWanKenobi's comments cheered me up.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 5:31 PM on June 24, 2012
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 5:31 PM on June 24, 2012
Notme's comment above has given me the giggles to the point of tears. Whew, I needed that.
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 5:38 PM on June 24, 2012
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 5:38 PM on June 24, 2012
When I'm gone there will be no trace
For I'm the sole survivor
.
posted by Snyder at 5:40 PM on June 24, 2012
For I'm the sole survivor
.
posted by Snyder at 5:40 PM on June 24, 2012
.
posted by localroger at 5:47 PM on June 24, 2012
posted by localroger at 5:47 PM on June 24, 2012
How sad. I took this photo when I went to the Galapagos in 2001, and I believe it is Lonesome George in the flesh. He's sweetly napping on the ground. He looks at peace. This is how I'll choose to remember him (unless it turns out to be a completely unrelated tortoise).
posted by semaphore at 6:00 PM on June 24, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by semaphore at 6:00 PM on June 24, 2012 [1 favorite]
He really wasn't very old for a tortoise, they're doing a necropsy to find out what he died of. At 100, he was likely still in his prime, maybe the lady tortoises weren't his type.
posted by biscotti at 6:06 PM on June 24, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by biscotti at 6:06 PM on June 24, 2012 [1 favorite]
Poor George. I sat with him (well outside of his private enclosure) for a half hour when I was down that way. Born before me, supposed to die after me, and all alone until we could get some cloning going. He was an interesting soul.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 6:12 PM on June 24, 2012
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 6:12 PM on June 24, 2012
De Chelonian Mobile, er, no more.
posted by Sticherbeast at 6:23 PM on June 24, 2012
posted by Sticherbeast at 6:23 PM on June 24, 2012
.
posted by susanbeeswax at 6:37 PM on June 24, 2012
posted by susanbeeswax at 6:37 PM on June 24, 2012
Is it possible he was gay?
Anyway too bad, he was cool.
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posted by Katjusa Roquette at 6:59 PM on June 24, 2012
Anyway too bad, he was cool.
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posted by Katjusa Roquette at 6:59 PM on June 24, 2012
Park officials said the tortoise was found dead in his corral by his keeper of 40 years, Fausto Llerena.
While I feel bad for George, I feel really bad for Fausto.
posted by Curious Artificer at 7:06 PM on June 24, 2012 [26 favorites]
While I feel bad for George, I feel really bad for Fausto.
posted by Curious Artificer at 7:06 PM on June 24, 2012 [26 favorites]
.
posted by arcticseal at 7:15 PM on June 24, 2012
posted by arcticseal at 7:15 PM on June 24, 2012
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Poor George. We are much the poorer for the passing of his kind.
Curious Artificer, I agree. Fausto's probably pretty torn up and missing his buddy.
I feel slightly cheered knowing that they kept George in a corral. Yee Haw, George!!
posted by BlueHorse at 7:32 PM on June 24, 2012
Poor George. We are much the poorer for the passing of his kind.
Curious Artificer, I agree. Fausto's probably pretty torn up and missing his buddy.
I feel slightly cheered knowing that they kept George in a corral. Yee Haw, George!!
posted by BlueHorse at 7:32 PM on June 24, 2012
By some estimates, this may be happening as many as 100 or even 1000 times per year at the species level.
posted by snofoam at 7:57 PM on June 24, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by snofoam at 7:57 PM on June 24, 2012 [2 favorites]
Another small wisp of genetic diversity flows into our man-made river of extinctions.
Goodbye George.
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posted by benzenedream at 8:03 PM on June 24, 2012 [1 favorite]
Goodbye George.
.
posted by benzenedream at 8:03 PM on June 24, 2012 [1 favorite]
.
posted by lester's sock puppet at 8:47 PM on June 24, 2012
posted by lester's sock puppet at 8:47 PM on June 24, 2012
Tortoises are fantastic.
I used to go to the zoo a lot, when I was very young - five years old, maybe. They had an enclosure surrounded by a short wooden fence (but I was a shrimpy thing and could only see over it by resting my chin on the top) which had several giant tortoises inside. They were all numbered, with white spray paint, on the back of the shell above the tail, like a gigantic collection of knobbly helmets.
I don't know why tortoise number twelve decided to come say hi, the day that it did. I don't know why I wasn't frightened when it tried its damnedest to scale the fence, putting its big head up on a level with mine. Maybe I looked like some kind of tasty vegetation. Maybe it decided to see if the proverbial grass was greener. I don't know. But the tortoise ambled over, and hauled itself up to stand on its hind legs, with its forefeet against the fence, and watched me, steadily. The tortoise wasn't threatening and I wasn't afraid: we just watched each other. Yo, monkey? Hi, tortoise.
It was, at that point, probably the best thing that had ever happened to me. Every time we went back, I made a point to look in on old Twelve and say hey, because we'd had a moment, and somehow we were friends.
Twelve is probably still alive, given these guys' lifespan. I think I'll make some calls tomorrow and try to find out how it's doing.
posted by cmyk at 9:57 PM on June 24, 2012 [16 favorites]
I used to go to the zoo a lot, when I was very young - five years old, maybe. They had an enclosure surrounded by a short wooden fence (but I was a shrimpy thing and could only see over it by resting my chin on the top) which had several giant tortoises inside. They were all numbered, with white spray paint, on the back of the shell above the tail, like a gigantic collection of knobbly helmets.
I don't know why tortoise number twelve decided to come say hi, the day that it did. I don't know why I wasn't frightened when it tried its damnedest to scale the fence, putting its big head up on a level with mine. Maybe I looked like some kind of tasty vegetation. Maybe it decided to see if the proverbial grass was greener. I don't know. But the tortoise ambled over, and hauled itself up to stand on its hind legs, with its forefeet against the fence, and watched me, steadily. The tortoise wasn't threatening and I wasn't afraid: we just watched each other. Yo, monkey? Hi, tortoise.
It was, at that point, probably the best thing that had ever happened to me. Every time we went back, I made a point to look in on old Twelve and say hey, because we'd had a moment, and somehow we were friends.
Twelve is probably still alive, given these guys' lifespan. I think I'll make some calls tomorrow and try to find out how it's doing.
posted by cmyk at 9:57 PM on June 24, 2012 [16 favorites]
Sniff. My very first MetaFilter post back in 2002 was about chelonia of a different sort. It had a typo, was horribly written, all the links are dead but the last, and it has that touch of embarrassing earnest-ness that comes with learning the ropes here, but damn do I love some turtles and tortoises and dragons. One fewer is one more I will never have the chance to pet and feed and love forever. So long, George.
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posted by lazaruslong at 10:00 PM on June 24, 2012
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posted by lazaruslong at 10:00 PM on June 24, 2012
I wonder if there is any sense of being the last of your kind. George, I, at least, am sorry for what we're up to.
posted by quid pro quo at 11:43 PM on June 24, 2012
posted by quid pro quo at 11:43 PM on June 24, 2012
WAY TO GO HUMANS! WE'RE #1! WE'RE #1!
posted by DarlingBri at 2:41 AM on June 25, 2012
posted by DarlingBri at 2:41 AM on June 25, 2012
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posted by Elly Vortex at 4:44 AM on June 25, 2012
posted by Elly Vortex at 4:44 AM on June 25, 2012
Tempus fugit. Tortoises, not so much.
posted by bicyclefish at 5:08 AM on June 25, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by bicyclefish at 5:08 AM on June 25, 2012 [2 favorites]
That said, it's how I'd like to go myself: Ancient, and surrounded by scientists cheering me on to mate with a string of beauties from the next volcano over.
posted by bicyclefish at 5:12 AM on June 25, 2012 [6 favorites]
posted by bicyclefish at 5:12 AM on June 25, 2012 [6 favorites]
That said, it's how I'd like to go myself: Ancient, and surrounded by scientists cheering me on to mate with a string of beauties from the next volcano over.
And random MeFites visiting and taking pictures to splash on the interwebs*.
.
*Eleven years ago, meant to go again this year, pics are actually in slide format at this time so we can't splash electronically
posted by tilde at 5:41 AM on June 25, 2012
And random MeFites visiting and taking pictures to splash on the interwebs*.
.
*Eleven years ago, meant to go again this year, pics are actually in slide format at this time so we can't splash electronically
posted by tilde at 5:41 AM on June 25, 2012
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posted by Cogentesque at 8:24 AM on June 25, 2012
posted by Cogentesque at 8:24 AM on June 25, 2012
We don't know what he was up to at night surrounded by all those females, he may have died of exhaustion with a smile on his face. George Clooney hasn't reproduced either.
posted by Blue Meanie at 10:48 AM on June 25, 2012
posted by Blue Meanie at 10:48 AM on June 25, 2012
That said, it's how I'd like to go myself: Ancient, and surrounded by scientists cheering me on to mate with a string of beauties from the next volcano over.
Previously, the story of how a 26 year old Swiss biologist spent months *ahem* manually stimulating George.
From a link in that thread:
posted by Homeboy Trouble at 11:27 AM on June 25, 2012 [1 favorite]
Previously, the story of how a 26 year old Swiss biologist spent months *ahem* manually stimulating George.
From a link in that thread:
As Nicholls tells the story — and he is a brilliant storyteller and narrative stylist in the finest tradition — a beautiful Swiss graduate student named Sveva Grigioni undertook the tried and true method of semen extraction as practiced by animal breeders. In tortoises the penis is tucked away inside the tail for safe keeping while it traverses across sharp lava rubble. When aroused, the penis emerges and becomes erect, allowing an ejaculation to occur. Scientists have had some success in capturing an ejaculate for artificial insemination by, well, a form of human-tortoise foreplay.Rest in peace, George.
posted by Homeboy Trouble at 11:27 AM on June 25, 2012 [1 favorite]
George Clooney hasn't reproduced either.
And someday, George Clooney may also go extinct.
posted by hippybear at 6:58 PM on June 25, 2012
And someday, George Clooney may also go extinct.
posted by hippybear at 6:58 PM on June 25, 2012
I hope that George's dreaming begins with freeing all of the other tortoises from the Red Bull's seabound curse, but that he only finds love and not regret.
posted by troublewithwolves at 6:58 PM on June 25, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by troublewithwolves at 6:58 PM on June 25, 2012 [1 favorite]
Lonesome George the giant tortoise was a character in one of my favorite childhood books.
In Hebrew it was called עמק שומאיש, and apparently "No Man's Valley" in English.
I'm having trouble finding much information about this book online, but here's the cover image.
It was about a place where endangered and extinct animals lived. The characters included a dodo, a white rhino, a California condor, a quagga and others.
In the cartoon version, George was a lonely old geezer, who always carried with him a bouquet, at the ready for wooing any available female (despite being the last of his kind).
I grew up loving these characters, which made me all the sadder to hear these sad news today. Kudos to the creators of this lovely book (and its sequel, which I also loved) for helping me know these animals and care about them. It stayed with me for life.
posted by Silky Slim at 4:20 AM on June 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
In Hebrew it was called עמק שומאיש, and apparently "No Man's Valley" in English.
I'm having trouble finding much information about this book online, but here's the cover image.
It was about a place where endangered and extinct animals lived. The characters included a dodo, a white rhino, a California condor, a quagga and others.
In the cartoon version, George was a lonely old geezer, who always carried with him a bouquet, at the ready for wooing any available female (despite being the last of his kind).
I grew up loving these characters, which made me all the sadder to hear these sad news today. Kudos to the creators of this lovely book (and its sequel, which I also loved) for helping me know these animals and care about them. It stayed with me for life.
posted by Silky Slim at 4:20 AM on June 26, 2012 [1 favorite]
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This is very sad.
So long, George.
posted by pemberkins at 4:25 PM on June 24, 2012