Story perspectives

Urgent Action Needed: Tortoise Population Faces Extinction Crisis

2/14/2026

Summary

Story summary

On Golem Grad Island in North Macedonia, Hermann’s tortoise population shows a 19-to-1 male-to-female ratio, threatening survival.
Ecologist Dragan Arsovski notes this imbalance drives aggressive mating that harms females.
Research published in Ecology Letters shows relentless male pursuit causes injuries and death, with females sometimes falling from cliffs.
The population, once thriving, now edges toward extinction, underscoring the urgent need to address the crisis on the uninhabited Lake Prespa island.

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Story summary

On Golem Grad Island in North Macedonia, Hermann’s tortoise population shows a 19-to-1 male-to-female ratio, threatening survival.
Ecologist Dragan Arsovski notes this imbalance drives aggressive mating that harms females.
Research published in Ecology Letters shows relentless male pursuit causes injuries and death, with females sometimes falling from cliffs.
The population, once thriving, now edges toward extinction, underscoring the urgent need to address the crisis on the uninhabited Lake Prespa island.