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Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles is home to nearly 183,000 giant tortoises, according to a new study that puts the population at its highest recorded total and above the island nation’s human population.
Researchers with the Seychelles Islands Foundation and the University of Exeter reanalyzed field counts collected between 2018 and 2022, producing the first comprehensive update since a widely cited estimate of about 100,000 in the late 1990s. Published in Ecology and Evolution, the study found the population remained relatively stable during the five years surveyed, according to The Guardian.
The estimate marks a conservation success for animals whose numbers fell below 1,000 amid hunting and exploitation in the 19th century. Aldabra became a strict nature reserve in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage site the following year.
“More than 180,000 giant tortoises roaming freely on our atoll is proof of what long-term commitment to conservation can achieve,” said Dr. Frauke Fleischer-Dogley, CEO of the Seychelles Islands Foundation. “This is wonderful news for Seychelles, for the world, and for everyone who has worked to protect Aldabra.”
The new total includes adult and sub-adult tortoises. To account for animals concealed by dense vegetation, researchers used statistical models to estimate how many surveyors missed.
Researchers said the population still faces threats from drought, rising sea levels and invasive animals, including feral cats and black rats. Removing invasive mammals could help the tortoises grow in number and better withstand climate pressures.
The survey gives conservationists a new baseline for tracking the population. Researchers said continued monitoring will help show how the tortoises fare amid climate change, drought and invasive species.
