A survey of the world's largest free-roaming giant tortoise population on Aldabra Atoll in Seychelles has discovered 180,000 tortoises, a figure that far exceeds the human population of Seychelles.
The once endangered species is thriving following a decades-long recovery programme, according to a study that produced a reliable baseline to track the population for decades to come.
Aldabra Atoll is one of only two places in the world where giant tortoises are found in the wild, alongside a much smaller population in the Galápagos.
Despite the good news, study authors warn that vigilance is essential as Aldabra's climate changes, with longer and more frequent droughts predicted to reduce shade and food, and rising sea levels threatening low-lying parts of the atoll.