Ecuador 2012, Galapagos Pinta Island Tortoise 3.00

Ecuador stamp 2012

Solitario Jorge (Lonesome George) Galapagos 

Chelonoidis abingdoni (Pinta Island Tortoise) 24 Jun 2012, 3.00

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The Pinta Island tortoise was a subspecies of Galápagos tortoise native to Ecuador's Pinta Island.
The subspecies was described by Albert Günther in 1877 after specimens arrived in London. By the end of the 19th century, most of the Pinta Island tortoises had been wiped out due to hunting. By the mid-20th century, it was assumed that the subspecies was extinct until a single male was discovered on the island in 1971. Efforts were made to mate the male, named Lonesome George, with other subspecies, but no viable eggs were produced. Lonesome George died on 24 June 2012 and the subspecies was believed to have become extinct with the death of Lonesome George.