The Pinta Island subspecies tortoise is a large tortoise belonging to the tortoise family. They once lived on Pinta Island in the Seychelles archipelago in the Indian Ocean and are an animal endemic to the island.
In the past, the number of tortoises in the Pinta subspecies was huge, and it is estimated that the number of tortoises on the island may have reached 150,000 in the early 19th century. However, with the intervention of humans and the large number of fishing for them, the number of such turtles began to decline dramatically. Initially because Europeans settled in the area, bringing with them a large number of animals, such as pigs, dogs, cats, etc., which ate the eggs and cubs of tortoises, resulting in a sharp decline in the population. In addition, humans have caught tortoises in large quantities, used them for food, or taken them elsewhere as pets or exhibit animals.
By the early 20th century, the number of tortoises in the Pinta subspecies had declined dramatically, to just a few hundred. To save this endangered animal, conservation measures such as the establishment of protected areas and artificial hatching of hatchlings have been taken. These measures have helped, but the Pinta Island subspecies tortoise remains endangered due to human fishing and environmental damage to the species.
The number of tortoises of the Pinta subspecies is still small. These turtles are considered to be very precious animals, and their protection has become a shared responsibility of the international community. Efforts to protect this beautiful animal were ongoing, but in 2012 the last Pinta Island subspecies, the tortoise, died, declaring the species extinct on Earth.