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   The Galapagos Islands are a special group of islands 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador. Because the islands are so far from land, they are home to many plants and animals that you can’t find anywhere else, such as giant tortoises(巨龟). The Islands are also far from each other. This has allowed different kinds of animals to develop on different islands. There are at least 12 different kinds of Galapagos tortoises.

Giant tortoises can live for more than 100 years though their living environment is sometimes bad. Over long periods of time, they've slowly changed their shells(外壳) and body styles to better fit the environment.

Hood Island is one of the Galapagos Islands. Like many other Galapagos tortoises, the number of Hood Island tortoises dropped dangerously low. Long ago, the Galapagos Islands were a favorite stopping place for the ship-men, who used giant tortoises as food on their trips. In 1976, the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS) began a program to raise their number. Several Hood Island tortoises were brought to a special area on Santa Cruz Island, and young tortoises could be raised and cared for here. At the time, Diego had been living in a zoo in California for about 30 years. When scientists realized he was a Hood Island tortoise, he was returned to take part in the program. The program was a great success. In 2020, there are nearly 2,000 Hood Island tortoises alive. Diego is believed to be responsible for about 40% of them. Now scientists believe that the Hood Island tortoises won’t disappear.

There is no longer a need for a special program for Hood Island tortoises, and Diego and 14 other tortoises have now been returned to Hood Island.