George | Image by Flickr user doriana del sarto, used under a Creative Commons License.

George, as he is affectionately known, is a national hero and an emblem of the ongoing struggle to preserve the unique nature of the Galapagos Islands. This special film tells George's story against the backdrop of the bigger conservation issues faced by these beautiful islands. George's loneliness is all part of a far bigger picture. The Pinta tortoise has been heavily hunted, and the islands have long been invaded by non-native species which push out the local wildlife. Even tourists, who come here partly to see the famous George, have added to the problems. There is an enormous struggle going on to restore the islands' unique biodiversity, but not everyone loves George: local fishermen who want to protect their rights to fish in Galapagos' protected waters have seized on him as a focus for their frustrations; meanwhile conservation efforts need to be balanced with an economy based on letting tourists in.