Seychelles' Giant Tortoise Population Soars Past 180,000

WHO:

CNN - Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF) and the University of Exeter in the UK led the survey.

CNN - Frauke Fleischer-Dogley is the CEO of SIF.

CNN - Nancy Bunbury is one of the study’s co-authors.

WHAT:

CNN - The survey estimated that about 180,000 Aldabra giant tortoises live on Aldabra Atoll.

CNN - This figure is the highest ever recorded for the species.

CNN - The human population of the Seychelles is around 122,000.

CNN - The tortoise population rebounded from fewer than 1,000 in the 19th century.

CNN - The estimate is based on five years of tortoise counts conducted between 2018 and 2022.

CNN - The previous widely cited estimate was 100,000 tortoises in the late 1990s.

CNN - Jonathan, a 194-year-old tortoise, is recognized as the oldest living land animal.

WHERE:

CNN - Aldabra Atoll is located in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of mainland Africa.

CNN - Aldabra Atoll is one of only two places in the world where giant tortoises are found in the wild.

WHEN:

CNN - The recovery program for the tortoises secured strict nature reserve status for Aldabra Atoll in 1981.

CNN - Aldabra Atoll became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1982.

WHY:

CNN - Heavy exploitation during the 19th century reduced the tortoise population to the brink of extinction.

CNN - The recovery program aimed to protect the tortoise population and its habitat.

HOW:

CNN - The tortoise population estimate was created through an analysis of tortoise counts over five years.

CNN - The monitoring program is one of the longest running in the region, despite challenges in counting due to dense vegetation.

(UPDATED October 9, 2026 05:07 UTC)

A recent survey led by the Seychelles Islands Foundation and the University of Exeter has revealed that approximately 180,000 Aldabra giant tortoises now inhabit Aldabra Atoll, marking the highest population ever recorded for the species. This impressive rebound comes after the tortoise population plummeted to fewer than 1,000 in the 19th century, thanks to a recovery program that began securing protections for their habitat in the early 1980s. Notably, Jonathan, a 194-year-old tortoise, holds the title of the oldest living land animal, thriving in one of the only two locations worldwide where giant tortoises can be found in the wild.