Something sad happened in Ecuador yesterday – Lonesome George, the last remaining Pinta Island giant tortoise, died in the Galapagos National Park at over 100 years of age (read more on the BBC here).
It's a sobering thought that we can cross another animal off of the global list. Yes, I'm sure you could argue that he was only a subspecies rather than a full species, but the distinction between the two is rather fluid as knowledge and technology improve, and whichever way you look at it, this particular type of tortoise won't ever be seen again.
It just highlights how important our Species Recovery work is – from Gyps vultures in Asia to Taita apalis in Africa, from common cranes in Somerset, to Ascension Island frigatebirds in the middle of the Atlantic.
Goodbye Lonesome George – the world is a poorer place for your passing.