‘Born to Be the Last’ Gives An Unheard Voice to Galapagos Tortoise Lonesome George

When giant tortoise Lonesome George died in 2012, it marked the official extinction of the Pinta tortoise subspecies. Discovered on the Galapagos island of Pinta in 1972, George quickly became a global symbol for conservation, after scientists around the world worked to save his species from extinction.

This documentary short, ‘Born to Be the Last’, created by MARURI agency, and produced in collaboration by Casta Diva and PopKorn films, was directed by PopKorn’s founder, Daniele Testi for Born Free. The film gives a voice to Lonesome George, allowing him to reclaim his story and identity following his death.

Dame Virginia McKenna and Will Travers OBE, co-founders of Born Free commented, “To be the last – the very last. To be confined, commodified, and celebrated, but to be alone. What is the point of being the last? Born Free believes we must keep wildlife in the wild.”

The film serves as a criticism of human behaviour – which places thoughts, feelings and behaviours onto animals without ever considering, ‘what do they think about this?’. Thanks to human expectation, Lonesome George shouldered the burden of saving his own species – he was moved away from his homeland, into an unknown territory where he was expected to reproduce.

He became a marketing tool, tourist trap, and cultural icon, centred around the idea that George, and George alone could save the species. For 41 years, he was watched by the world, looking on to see if any attempts at breeding would be successful. The eyes of millions were on him, but ultimately - he was alone.

‘Born to be the Last’ delivers a powerful final message from George that scientists may not have considered before: That he was never alone. In the years before he was discovered, he could have been living happily on Pinta Island, in the companionship of a fellow male giant tortoise.

Although this message isn’t scientifically proven, it’s reinforced by the discovery of a dead male tortoise shell on Pinta Island, two years after Lonesome George was found. George’s final message to humanity suggests that in all the years of attempting to save the species, no one had ever asked him what he truly wanted, or who he had left behind on the island.

The film is a poignant meditation around freedom, loneliness, identity and the price of being turned into a symbol. By blending scientific facts with emotion, it explores the idea of being the last of a kind, and reframes Lonesome George’s legacy by putting his story back on his own terms, and not the terms dictated in science journals and papers.

Eduardo Maruri, global CEO and creative chairman, MARURI, commented, “"The film tells the deeply emotional story of the last 41 years of existence of Lonesome George. It encourages the audience to question the morality of forced captivity vs reproduction, scientific bias, same sex behaviour in animals , and ultimately, freedom"

Director Daniele Testi said, “With Born to Be the Last, we wanted to give Lonesome George the voice he was never granted in life. This film is not just about a tortoise — it’s about how we project our desires onto nature without listening."

Giorgia Crepaldi, chief growth officer at Casta Diva added, “When we first heard this story, we were immediately moved by the opportunity to give George a voice. We need true, authentic stories like this to fully immerse ourselves and reconnect with what truly matters.”