Aldabra giant tortoise numbers hit record
Scientists discover 180,000 giant tortoises on one Seychelles island
Friday, 9 October 2026
Photo by Rowen Smith on Unsplash
Warm-up
- What wildlife success stories do you know?
- How can people help endangered animals recover?
- What comes to mind when you hear "island"?
Vocabulary
- survey
- a study that collects information by counting or asking questions
- estimate
- a number that is close to the real amount, not exact
- population
- the total number of animals or people in one place
- atoll
- a ring-shaped island of coral around a lagoon
- conservation
- work to protect nature and wildlife
- reserve
- a protected area where nature is kept safe
- drought
- a long period with little or no rain
- invasive
- describing a species that enters and harms a local ecosystem
Reading
Listen to this story
British EnglishScientists say Aldabra Atoll in Seychelles holds about 180,000 giant tortoises, the largest free-roaming population. The estimate comes from a survey led by Seychelles Islands Foundation and the University of Exeter, analysing counts from 2018 to 2022. It is the first update since the late 1990s, when 100,000 were reported.
The study, published in Ecology and Evolution, found the population stable, with almost 183,000 adults and sub-adults. The recovery follows decades of conservation work. Aldabra was made a strict nature reserve in 1981 and a UNESCO site in 1982, after 19th-century hunting cut numbers to under 1,000. Today, Aldabra and the Galápagos are the only places where giant tortoises live in the wild.
Success brings new work. Shade and food are threatened as longer droughts are predicted and sea levels rise. Invasive mammals, such as feral cats and black rats, prey on eggs and hatchlings, so eradication is planned to protect growth.
Comprehension
- Where is the world’s largest free-roaming giant tortoise population?
- About how many tortoises live on Aldabra, according to the estimate?
- Who led the survey that produced the new figure?
- What protections were given to Aldabra in 1981 and 1982?
- What future threats to the tortoises does the study mention?
Grammar focus
Passive voice
We use the passive to focus on the thing affected, especially when the doer is unknown or less important. Form: be + past participle (is/are/was/were + verb-3).
- Aldabra was made a strict nature reserve in 1981.
- Shade and food are threatened as longer droughts are predicted.
Grammar exercise
Complete the sentences with the correct passive form.
- Counts (analyse) ___ from 2018 to 2022.
- 100,000 (report) ___ in the late 1990s.
- Eggs and hatchlings (eat) ___ often by invasive mammals.
- Aldabra (list) ___ by UNESCO in 1982.
- Eradication (plan) ___ to protect growth.
Discussion
- Why is Aldabra’s recovery called a success story?
- How could similar conservation help other species?
- Should invasive animals be removed to protect wildlife? Why?
- What climate risks might islands face in coming decades?
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