TOH edition: Friday, 9 October 2026 · Planet & Nature
Protection Can Give Wildlife a Future: Aldabra Now Has an Estimated 180,000 Free-Roaming Giant Tortoises
Reported by The Guardian
Publisher date:
A survey estimates that approximately 180,000 giant tortoises live freely on Seychelles’ Aldabra Atoll, following decades of conservation that helped the population recover from fewer than 1,000 in the 19th century. The highest estimate ever recorded for the species demonstrates what sustained protection can achieve, though climate change and invasive mammals still threaten its future.
Aldabra shows that sustained conservation can help wildlife recover on a remarkable scale, while continued monitoring gives people the evidence to protect that recovery.
Read the original report at The Guardian (opens in a new tab) →
Read the full front page of Friday, 9 October 2026 →
Get tomorrow's front page
Five reasons to believe in progress, delivered once a day.