The Giant Tortoise Breeding Centers are co-managed by the Galápagos National Park Directorate and Galápagos Conservancy. Tortoises are bred and hatched in the breeding centers, or sometimes brought there from perilous situations, so they may safely and comfortably grow to young adulthood. At age five, Giant Tortoises reach 3.75 lbs. on average and their shells are strong enough to keep them safe from invasive predators. They are then released into the wild where they can live freely and do their important work as “ecosystem engineers” to rewild Galápagos ecosystems.

When you adopt a Giant Tortoise, you sponsor the care they will receive for many years as they grow up at their Breeding Center on Santa Cruz, Isabela, or San Cristóbal Island. This includes the equipment to gently incubate your baby tortoise as an embryo inside its fragile eggshell for four months to hatching, all the delicious starchy Otoy and protein-rich Porotillo leaves they will need to eat for strong growth as a juvenile, regular monitoring of their health by on-site veterinarians, nutritional and other studies, and the security to keep your tortoise safe while they grow.

To divide your adoption donation across six or fewer monthly recurring gifts, please: