Rare species management
The number and scale of rare species management programmes has increased over the last decade. The Charles Darwin Foundation has taken a lead role, but this is being increasingly “mainstreamed” into Ecuadorean institutions.
Although Lonesome George still hasn’t quite managed to father a fertile egg, other captive breeding programmes have been highly successful. The focus has expanded from a few large charismatic animals to a wider range of species, including recent work to encourage the propagation of rare native plants. In-situ work has also expanded, covering more areas, more species, and more techniques and responding to the opportunities opened up by eradications.