George the tortoise was discovered on the tiny inhabited island of Pinta in 1971 and he is known to be the last

surviving member of him subspecies. It was realised that the Galapagos tortoises could supply excellent fresh meat for passing ships, because they were known to be able to survive for six months without food and water. It is believed that the tanker Jessica which ran aground near the island leaked million litres of oil into the sea and it is believed that many unique species would be damaged. Because Georges group faced extinction, he was taken to Charles Darwin Research Centre and provided with a harem from related sub-species but was said to have been uninterested.