What was the name of the last known Pinta Island tortoise, who died in 2012?

The last known Pinta Island tortoise, who died in 2012, was named Lonesome George.

Lonesome George was a male Pinta Island tortoise, belonging to the subspecies Chelonoidis niger abingdonii. Pinta, also called Abingdon Island, is part of Ecuador’s Galápagos archipelago. George became famous because he was the only known surviving member of his subspecies.

He was discovered on Pinta Island in 1971 and moved to the Charles Darwin Research Station for protection. Introduced goats had severely damaged the island’s vegetation, while hunting had already reduced the tortoise population. Conservationists paired George with females from related Galápagos subspecies, but none of the eggs produced viable offspring.

George died on June 24, 2012, probably from natural causes associated with old age. His death marked the apparent extinction of the Pinta Island subspecies, although later genetic studies found tortoises on Isabela Island with Pinta ancestry. That discovery does not change George’s status as the last known pure individual and explains why “Lonesome George” remains the standard quiz answer.

His preserved body is displayed in the Galápagos as a symbol of island conservation.