Volcano erupts on Galápagos island home to last known ‘fantastic giant tortoise’

A volcano on an island in the Galápagos could threaten the survival of the last known survivor of a species of giant tortoise.

The La Cumbre volcano on Fernandina island began erupting on Saturday night, lighting up the nighttime sky as lava tumbled down its sides toward the sea.

Fernandina is home to Fernanda, a giant tortoise a lone female was discovered living on an isolated vegetation patch on the island in 2019.

Read the full story of Fernanda’s discovery here.

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Officials from Ecuador’s Geophysical Institute said it could be the largest eruption La Cumbre has seen since 2017. The 1,476-metre volcano last erupted in 2020.

The La Cumbre volcano is one of the most active in the Galápagos Island chain, which is famous throughout the world for helping 19th century British scientist Charles Darwin develop his theory of evolution.

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Will wildlife on the island be affected?

There are no humans living on the island.

At present, authorities have not commented on whether the wildlife living on the island will be threatened by the eruption.

Along with Fernanda, the island is home to a number of other species, including iguanas, penguins and flightless cormorants.

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