Saved! Giant Galapagos tortoises brought back from near extinction

Conservationists say they have brought giant tortoises found on the Galápagos island of Española back from the brink of extinction, gaining a foothold strong enough to allow humans to leave the reptiles alone.

Numbering just 15 some five decades ago, the tortoises, which can live as long as two centuries, now number about 1,000 and can sustain themselves, according to a study published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE.