RETURN OF THE GIANTS

After two decades of preparations, the island of Floreana in the Galápagos is ready to welcome back an iconic tortoise

- DANIEL BENNETT

I WAS WALKING DOWN A SANDY trail perforated by volcanic rocks - the sharp, pointy kind that ruin boots and twist ankles. The heat was making my feet heavy and had scorched the trees to skeletons. While I walked and talked with other members of the group, thirsty mockingbirds hopped between the - surrounding thickets.

I was on San Cristóbal, the easternmost island of the Galápagos, an archipelago born from volcanoes. Here, evolution takes place at such speed that scientists observe certain islands day and night.

I was following in the footsteps of whalers and pirates, yet the animals here know no fear. Blue-footed boobies ignore you as they waggle their feet at prospective mates; spectacular marine iguanas glisten in the sun between swims.

My destination was a volcanic crater. Two craters now fused into one, its cool, muddy bowls are the perfect place for another Galápagos icon - the giant tortoise. Here, these creatures bathe, bask and, if they're lucky, breed.

The group stopped for a drink, and a noise that was at once familiar and alien broke the silence: the mew of a kitten. Our heads turned in unison and our guide, Fernando, disappeared into the bush to investigate. In a place as highly conserved at this, we all knew what had to happen.

San Cristóbal was once overrun by cats, rats and goats. Some snuck onto the island with pirates and whalers in the 1600s; others were intentionally brought here by settlers in the 1700s. The herbivores outcompeted the leisurely tortoises for food and carnivores feasted on their eggs, and the population nosedived. Fernando radioed the location to a team who would take care of the matter, and we pressed on.