Giant tortoise George wasn't so Lonesome

The death of Lonesome George in June this year was mourned by environmentalists worldwide. The centenarian reptile from the Galapagos was said to be the last Pinta Island tortoise left, and his passing meant the extinction of his subspecies. But now it seems George wasn't as lonely as scientists imagined.

According to the Galapagos National Park, there are at least 17 tortoises on the Islands with similar genetic traits to George (pictured) and some may even be from the same genus.

George was discovered in 1972 but his death "does not represent the end of the Chelonoidis abingdonii species of Pinta Island giant tortoises," as first thought, the Park said. afp