Giant tortoises outnumber humans in Seychelles after conservation recovery

Aldabra giant tortoises now outnumber the human population of the Seychelles following a successful decades-long conservation effort, according to a scientific survey released on Friday, 9 October. Research conducted by the Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF) and the University of Exeter estimates that approximately 183,000 tortoises now inhabit the Aldabra Atoll, a remote UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Indian Ocean. The findings, published in the journal Ecology and Evolution , reveal a significant recovery for a species that was hunted to near extinction in the 19th century, when fewer than 1,000 individuals remained. The new figure of 183,000 adult and subadult tortoises surpasses the Seychelles\' official human population, which was recorded at approximately 123,000 at the end of 2025. Advanced modelling clarifies population size The updated estimate is notably higher than the previous figure of 100,000 recorded in the late 1990s. However, researchers noted that the increase is partly due to more accurate counting methods rather than a sudden population explosion. The team analysed five years of monitoring data collected between 2018 and 2022, using statistical modelling to account for tortoises hidden in dense vegetation or shaded areas that previous surveys had missed. Frauke Fleischer-Dogley, chief executive of the SIF, stated that the presence of more than 180,000 tortoises roaming freely is evidence of the impact of long-term environmental protection. The…