The Galapagos archipelago, an iconic ecosystem whose wildlife inspired naturalist Charles Darwin to write his work ‘The Origin of Species’ and formulate his theory of natural selection, is home to several species currently classified as vulnerable that are found nowhere else. Reintroduction of species in Galapagos!
With the increase of climate changes and with the expansion of the human being through the different territories of our planet, we have observed the reduction of several species of animals that have as their natural habitat the territories most massacred by these events.
To combat the disappearance of other endemic animals and restore ecological networks, several scientists in the Galápagos archipelago have been reintroducing several extinct species to the islands.
The plan is to introduce some species endemic to the islands, such as the Galápagos owl or the thrush. This group of scientists is responsible for the environmental care of this archipelago located about a thousand kilometers east of the mainland coast of Ecuador and declared a Natural Heritage Site by UNESCO.
The project, started two years ago, will be completed in 2024, when the chosen specimens are expected to be reintroduced.
However, these species cannot simply be reintroduced into this habitat. One of the first stages of the project is to eliminate from the islands several harmful species that harm the ecosystems. These predator species were introduced over the years by humans and ended up damaging the islands’ ecosystem.
The scientists responsible for this project believe that, if applied correctly, its application could set a precedent on a global scale and serve as a model for similar initiatives in habitats with the same type of problems.
The Galapagos Islands are considered one of the best protected natural reserves in the world and a natural laboratory, the same one that inspired the English scientist Charles Darwin to formulate his theory on the evolution and natural selection of species. This archipelago is made up of 13 large islands, six small islands and 42 islets, and deserves to maintain the biosphere that so impressed Charles Darwin in 1835.
