Aldabra giant tortoises outnumber humans in Seychelles

A new scientific study has revealed a major conservation success in the Seychelles, where the population of Aldabra giant tortoises has recovered to the point of outnumbering the human population of the country.

Research conducted by the Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF) and the University of Exeter estimates that approximately 180,000 to 183,000 giant tortoises live on the Aldabra Atoll. This figure significantly exceeds the human population of the Seychelles, which is approximately 122,000 to 123,000. The findings are based on an analysis of population monitoring data collected between 2018 and 2022.

The species was once on the brink of extinction due to intense hunting and exploitation during the 19th century, which reduced their numbers to fewer than 1,000 individuals. The recovery is attributed to long-term protection efforts, including the atoll being declared a strict nature reserve in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982. Aldabra Atoll remains one of only two places in the world where these tortoises live in the wild.