Lonesome George, Last Known Galápagos Pinta Tortoise, Seeks Mate (VIDEO)

Lonesome George is the Galápagos giant tortoise's last hope to stave off extinction.

The 100-year-old reptile is the last of his subspecies, a type of tortoise that once roamed the islands in the thousands, according to the Star Tribune. But despite thousands of potential mates, George is still yet to produce any offspring.

The serial bachelor has recently moved in with two new potential girlfriends.

But the chances he'll take to one of them are slim. Scientists have been trying to find him a mate since 1971, writes TIME. In the past, scientists believed that his weight was a factor keeping him from mating.

But since slimming down in the 1990s, George is still yet to have reproduced.

However, according to TIME, lately he's been a bit more active, and may have a chance at making a go of it. “He's getting to know them,” his vet told TIME. “Lately he seems more animated.”

Unfortunately, George really does seem to be the last hope for his subspecies of giant tortoise.

"We've searched so much, but we haven't managed to find another one," Fausto Llerena, George's caretaker, told the Star Tribune. "Just skeletons."

WATCH (From the BBC in 2009):

Comments

[Kim0330]

11:05 AM on 05/20/2011

"The serial bachelor has recently moved in with two new potential girlfriends."

So if he's the last of his kind, who are the two potential girlfirends? Another breed of a turtle?

[thromulese]

06:58 PM on 05/16/2011

Sounds like a job for Viagra.

[the crustybastard]

10:50 PM on 05/15/2011

I happened to be at a zoo when two giant tortoises were mating. The um, gentleman suitor was surprisingly...vocal.

[gevan]

07:04 PM on 05/15/2011

What if George is gay?

[cosmiCataclysm]

08:38 PM on 05/16/2011

then Evangelical witch doctors will cure him!

[Andre Fabre]

05:49 PM on 05/15/2011

How about cloning the females and George? That way, when they become adults, we would have extras of the same gene pool. Besides, what if Lonesome George is gay?

I'm just saying...!

[cheo]

05:06 PM on 05/15/2011

If he's the last one, the search would be pointless....very vague on details is this article.

[Fmal DeHyde]

06:34 PM on 05/16/2011

I thought so too. Maybe it's explained more clearly in the video but going by that article, George wouldn't have any females to mate with if he's the last of his kind, right?

[cosmiCataclysm]

08:38 PM on 05/16/2011

He is probably able to breed with another sub-species.

[cheo]

02:53 AM on 05/17/2011

If I were in his place I would not be all that picky...and maybe they've already been doing that. They don't tell us much.

I find this puzzling:
"The 100-year-old reptile is the last of his subspecies,..."
"But despite thousands of potential mates, George is still yet to produce any offspring."
All these thousands of potential mates--what are they? And if he is the last one, do they know why? Is this same problem affecting the other tortoises left in the Gala'pagos?

One of the regrets I have from the time we lived in Chile was that we didn't make it there. We were conflicted because the government was letting anyone and everyone go there. but biologists were saying that was endangering the islands and it's inhabitants and that it should be regulated. Don't know if it is yet.

[hazbro24]

12:19 PM on 05/15/2011

#Last Known Galápagos Pinta Tortoise, Seeks Mate. @MitchMcConnel

[Moxo]

01:25 AM on 05/15/2011

Newt Gingrich needs to sit down with him and give him some pointers.

[Barb Keryan]

01:59 PM on 05/14/2011

How many females are still around? How old are they?

[TheRealWalrus]

01:03 PM on 05/14/2011

What? If he's the last of his subspecies, are they trying to mate him with another subspecies? Or is he the last MALE of his subspecies, and there are lots of females left? Poorly written and confusing

[cheo]

05:04 PM on 05/15/2011

Not the first time; I don't know if it's an HP thing or if the articles come to HP this way....
There are more and more reporters/journalists out there who just don't know the English language very well; says something about the direction our educational system is going.

[david5000]

11:50 AM on 05/14/2011

That's us in few thousands years, some other species will be also feeling sorry for the last of us .

Or they can simply EAT the last of us.

[linnwood]

09:39 AM on 05/14/2011

Call Newt,hear he's looking for his fourth.

[ZenSufi]

09:19 AM on 05/14/2011

He needs to come out of his shell and meet people.

[justan olnamvet]

10:12 PM on 05/16/2011

Run for Senate and find a mate.

[StarGazr5992]

08:48 AM on 05/14/2011

Poor George

[dharmadhatuzoo]

02:11 AM on 05/14/2011

He's gay.

[david5000]

11:52 AM on 05/14/2011

He's old and lost his libido, probably can't find his way in or simply he can't lift himself up to do the job.

80 years old, wow.

[justan olnamvet]

10:13 PM on 05/16/2011

Whipper snapper at 80.