\n It is the highest figure ever recorded for the species, and far exceeds the human population of around 122,000 living in the tiny archipelago nation.\n <\/p>\n
\n Aldabra Atoll is one of only two places in the world where giant tortoises are found in the wild. A much smaller population lives on Ecuador\u2019s Gal\u00e1pagos Islands.\n <\/p>\n
\n One of the world\u2019s most undisturbed island ecosystems, Aldabra Atoll is home to several unique species that thrive in the remote haven.\n <\/p>\n
\n The species has rebounded from a dramatic decline. Heavy exploitation during the 19th century reduced its population on the island to fewer than 1,000, pushing the species to the brink of extinction.\n <\/p>\n
\n A recovery program helped secure strict nature reserve status for the atoll in 1981. It became a UNESCO World Heritage site a year later, giving the population room to rebound.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cMore than 180,000 giant tortoises roaming freely on our atoll is proof of what long-term commitment to conservation can achieve,\u201d Frauke Fleischer-Dogley, CEO of SIF, said in a statement.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cThis is wonderful news for Seychelles, for the world, and for everyone who has worked to protect Aldabra.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
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Searching for Esmeralda, the oldest and most famous resident of Seychelles\n <\/p>\n
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Searching for Esmeralda, the oldest and most famous resident of Seychelles<\/p>\n
9:35<\/p>\n
\n Creating the new estimate required more than just a headcount. The figures are based on an analysis of five years of tortoise counts conducted between 2018 and 2022, and is the first update since a widely cited estimate of 100,000 tortoises in the late 1990s.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cAldabra\u2019s giant tortoise monitoring program is one of the longest running in the region, but the atoll\u2019s dense vegetation makes counting tortoises genuinely difficult in places,\u201d said Nancy Bunbury, one of the study\u2019s co-authors.\n <\/p>\n
\n Bunbury added the team of scientists on the study have produced the most reliable baseline for the species, which can be used as a benchmark to track its population for decades to come.\n <\/p>\n
\n Despite the encouraging population estimate, the study\u2019s authors said continued vigilance is crucial as the climate crisis brings longer and more frequent droughts that could reduce shade and food for the tortoises. Rising sea levels as the planet warms also threaten the atoll\u2019s low-lying habitat.\n <\/p>\n
\n The world\u2019s oldest known tortoise, a 194-year-old called Jonathan<\/a>, is likely to have come from the Aldabra Atoll or the Granitic Seychelles.\n <\/p>\n