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Giant tortoises reintroduced to Gal谩pagos island

A tortoise is carried in a box in front of the oceanReuters

Giant tortoises have been reintroduced to one of the Gal谩pagos Islands.

The massive reptiles have been extinct from Floreana Island for nearly 200 years.

But because of a breeding programme, 158 young tortoises are now back plodding around.

Park rangers carried the animals for 7km on their backs before they were released!

A tortoise hangs one arm out of a grey crate and looks ahead.Reuters

The Gal谩pagos Islands are a group of islands off the coast of Ecuador in South America.

They are famous for their unique animals and plants.

The Gal谩pagos Conservation Trust says the gentle giants are "ecosystem engineers", that create "opportunities for new plants to grow" by wallowing in muddy ponds and scattering seeds.

So the trust believes that the reintroduction will also benefit other species like birds and iguanas.