After nearly a century of adventure, travel, and a legendary love life, Diego the Giant Tortoise has officially retired and he’s heading home.

Diego, now 100 years old, isn’t just any tortoise. He’s the heroic “sex machine” who helped save his entire species from extinction. Thanks to his extraordinary stamina and dedication to the cause, over 800 baby tortoises now roam the Galápagos Islands.

🚢 From Española to San Diego and Back Again

Diego was first taken from Española Island one of the remote Galápagos Islands by explorers in 1933, and he eventually landed in the San Diego Zoo in California.

In the 1960s, conservationists realized Diego belonged to a critically endangered species known as Chelonoidis hoodensis, native to Española. Fewer than 15 of them remained and only 12 were female. That’s when Diego was drafted into an urgent breeding program on Santa Cruz Island.

💘 Meet the Father of a Generation

And boy, did he deliver.

Diego, weighing in at 175 pounds and standing 5 feet tall when stretched, went on to father more than 800 children. Conservationists estimate he’s the biological father of about 40% of the total surviving tortoises of his species today.

“He’s a very sexually active male reproducer,” said Washington Tapia, a tortoise preservation expert at Galápagos National Park. “He contributed enormously to repopulating the island.”

Diego’s legendary libido played a pivotal role in bringing his species back from the brink. Without him, the Chelonoidis hoodensis may have been lost forever.

🏝 A Hero’s Return to Española Island

Now, after nearly 87 years of service to science, Diego has been released back into the wild returning to his native Española Island to live out the rest of his days in peace.

Photos shared by Ecuador’s Environment Minister show Diego and 15 other tortoises making the journey home. Before the return, the tortoises were kept in quarantine to prevent the spread of non-native plant seeds they may have picked up during their stay in captivity.

“We close an important chapter in the management of Galápagos National Park,” the ministry wrote. “Your island welcomes you with open arms.”

🌿 A Legacy of Survival

The Galápagos Islands, famously studied by Charles Darwin in the 1830s, have long been celebrated for their rich biodiversity. But invasive species, habitat destruction, and human interference drastically reduced many native animal populations including giant tortoises.

Diego’s efforts, along with conservation teams around the world, have helped stabilize one of the most fragile populations on Earth. From just a handful of isolated females decades ago, the species now numbers more than 2,000.

🙌 Long Live Diego

From zoo life in California to an ecological rescue mission, Diego has lived an extraordinary life. His story is not just one of survival it’s a testament to how conservation and commitment can change the fate of an entire species.

Welcome home, Diego. You’ve more than earned your retirement. 🐢💚

For more details, click here.=https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8427427/Diego-100-year-old-tortoise-saved-species-fathering-800-babies-retired.html?utm_campaign=feed&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=later-linkinbio