The young tortoises, between 8 and 13 years old, are bred and specially selected to reintroduce the species, Chelonoidis niger, into the wild. They have largely the same genetic makeup as the tortoises that originated on the island.
Chelonoidis niger is a subspecies of the Galápagos tortoise that disappeared from Floreana 150 years ago. The released tortoises are the first of up to 700 to be reintroduced.
200 years ago, there were around 20,000 individuals of the species on Floreana. However, a widespread fire and human exploitation of the island caused the species to become extinct.
