QUITO, Aug 2 (NNN-Xinhua) — After nearly two centuries, Galapagos land iguanas are once again hatching on Santiago Island, the fourth largest island in Ecuador’s Galapagos archipelago, Minister of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition Gustavo Manrique announced.
“Good news! Almost two centuries later, land iguanas are born again on Santiago Island,” Manrique wrote on his official Twitter account. “The last record of a healthy population was made by (Charles) Darwin in 1835. We are enthusiastically witnessing the ecological restoration of an island that was greatly affected in the past.”
In the 19th century Darwin reported on the abundant presence of large reptiles on the island, which is home to a great variety of wildlife within its 585 square km.
The Galapagos archipelago is located 970 km off the mainland of Ecuador and was declared a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site in 1978.
The region is home to numerous endemic species of flora and fauna that served as a laboratory for Darwin to establish his theory of the evolution of species. — NNN-XINHUA
