Lonesome George The Giant Tortoise Preserved In All His Glory

Tucked in a corner of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, next to fossils of long-gone gigantic sloths and knee-high horses, stands a newcomer to the extinction parade: Lonesome George, the last of his subspecies and a native of the Galápagos’s Pinta Island. Until his death in 2012, the giant tortoise had stood as a global conservation icon for four decades. Now, preserved by a team of taxidermists and put on display at the museum until his January 4 return to his South American homeland, George still shares his message amid other vanished species—lonesome no more. 1971 Year George was found by József Vágvölgyi, a Hungarian scientist studying snails 165 Weight, in pounds 100 Estimated age at death 9 Months to dry his shell 1.5 Years to complete taxidermy 7 Height of the mount, in feet 100 Photographs consulted to get George’s regal pose just right

1971 Year George was found by József Vágvölgyi, a Hungarian scientist studying snails

165 Weight, in pounds

100 Estimated age at death

9 Months to dry his shell

1.5 Years to complete taxidermy

7 Height of the mount, in feet

100 Photographs consulted to get George’s regal pose just right