183,000 Aldabra Tortoises Outnumber Seychelles Residents

A survey estimates that nearly 183,000 adult and subadult Aldabra giant tortoises live on Aldabra Atoll in Seychelles, more than the country’s human population and the largest known free-roaming population of giant tortoises. Researchers analyzed counts collected from 2018 to 2022 and modeled animals missed in dense vegetation, providing the first major update to the oft-cited estimate of 100,000 from the late 1990s. They caution that the new figure does not mean the population suddenly doubled, though the tortoises have genuinely recovered from fewer than 1,000 in the 19th century following long-term protection. The species remains vulnerable to drought, rising seas and other climate impacts, as well as invasive animals.