Lonesome George, the Galapagos tortoise who lived more than 100 years, will be stuffed for preservation, it was reported.
George, said to be the last of the Pinta Island tortoises, died last summer. Despite a number of breeding attempts, the animal never was able to reproduce.
The New York City’s American Museum of Natural History recently received the tortoise’s frozen body and are doing the work to preserve him, reported National Geographic.
“Doing taxidermy on a tortoise is much like working on an elephant,” George Dante, the lead taxidermist, told the publication. “There’s no fur, so we have to work to preserve the skin, maintaining its natural color and texture as much as possible, sculpting the wrinkles so they are anatomically accurate. There’s very little room for error.”
The tortoise will be on display in New York for a short period of time later this year before it heads back to the Galapagos Islands, reported LiveScience.
Michael Novacek, the head of the museum, told the website: “Our team of experts, using preservation and taxidermy techniques that have earned this institution recognition throughout the world, will ensure the legacy of Lonesome George lives on and is appreciated by future generations.”
