Advertisement | Rare Giant Tortoise May Become FatherSeveral Eggs Found In Last Pinta Island Tortoise's Nest, Giving Hope For Species' SurvivalQUITO, Ecuador, July 22, 2008  Tortoise "Lonesome George," seen in a 1985 photo, is the only remaining specimen of a subspecies of giant tortoise found in the Galapagos Islands, which are in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Ecuador. (AP Photo/Charles Darwin Foundation) 
(AP) Lonesome George, the long-living Galapagos Islands giant tortoise thought to be the last of his kind, might soon be a father. The Galapagos National Park announced Monday that a female tortoise that has accompanied George since 1993 laid three intact eggs that are being cared for in an artificial incubator. The female belongs to the closest existing phenotype to that of George. The eggs have appeared "after 36 years of multiple efforts ... when we thought it was impossible for the tortoise known as Lonesome George to reproduce," the park said in a statement. Found in 1972 on Pinta island, George is estimated to be in his 70s - middle age for a giant tortoise. It will take another 120 days to learn if the eggs are viable. © MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. | Advertisement  A Matter of RaceCould Attitudes On Skin Color, Not Issues Still Decide The Presidential Contest? Experts Debate What Voters May Truly Feel |
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