Giant tortoise Lonesome George gets embalming

The giant tortoise Lonesome George was over 100 years old and was considered one of the last of its kind. Now the stately animal is to be embalmed and exhibited in a museum in Ecuador as a tourist attraction. Lonesome George is embalmed - Image: Shutterstock / Sunshine Pics

In America, the giant turtle Lonesome George gained a similar level of awareness as the polar bear Knut in this country. The special thing about the animal that died in June 2012: It was over 100 years old and was initially the last of its kind, hence the name. However, numerous attempts at reproduction failed, so that it was initially assumed that the last representative of the subspecies Chelonoidis abingdoni had died with George. It is now known that at least 17 other animals of this species live in Ecuador.

Lonesome George is embalmed

The animal is now being embalmed in New York. The cumbersome process should take around nine months. Then Lonesome George is supposed to be sent back to Ecuador. There the giant turtle can be seen in a museum in the Galápagos Islands.