One Country Has More Giant Tortoises Than People
Tuesday, October 13, 2026191 words3 minutes1475 reads
Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles is home to the world’s largest wild group of giant tortoises. A new study estimates about 183,000 adult and nearly full-grown tortoises live there. That is more than the population of the whole country.
Researchers used counts from 2018 to 2022. Tortoises hide under thick plants or in shade. They used a model to estimate animals that were present but not observed.
The estimate is higher than the old 1990s figure of about 100,000. It does not mean the population nearly doubled since then. Earlier surveys did not count many tortoises hidden in vegetation or shade. The study found that the population was relatively stable from 2018 to 2021. The 2022 survey covered less area, so researchers did not include its high estimate in the average.
In the 1800s, hunting cut Aldabra’s tortoises to fewer than 1,000. Aldabra became a protected reserve in 1981, and long-term conservation helped the population recover. It became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1982. The new number is a starting point for future checks, not proof all threats are gone. Drought, rising seas, and animals that eat eggs remain threats.
