Preserving Lonesome George

Museum scientists and a master taxidermist describe the painstaking process of preserving Lonesome George, the famous Pinta Island tortoise who died in 2012 in the Galapagos Islands. As the last known survivor of the tortoise species Chelonoidis abingdoni, Lonesome George continues to serve as a global icon of conservation. After a limited time on view at the Museum Lonesome George returns to Ecuador as part of that nation’s patrimony.