Galapagos giant tortoise retires after saving his species

Diego relaxes with a snack

This Galapagos giant tortoise saved his species. 

Well done, Diego! 

A Galapagos giant tortoise estimated to be about 130 years old is returning home after having so much sex that he saved his species.

Diego, part of the Chelonoidis hoodensis species that lives on the Galapagos island of Espanola, was one of the tortoises brought to the U.S. between 1928 and 1933 and was later placed into the Charles Darwin Research Station for protection after the species was declared critically endangered in the 1960s, according to the San Diego Zoo.

MORE: Back from the abyss: These are the animal species that resurfaced in 2019 after they were feared lost

Diego spent 30 years at the San Diego Zoo's breeding program before he returned back to Ecuador in 1977, joining his fellow tortoises at the Charles Darwin Research Station.

abcnews.go.com/…

Thanks to Diego, the population on the Galapagos Islands has gone from 15 to 2000, 800 of them his progeny.  All the best to ya, Diego. 

PS — 3 males (including Diego) and 12 females who were part of the breeding program will be released back into their natural habitat in March.

UPDATE: Diego would like to thank all of you for helping him make the Rec list!