Ancient giant tortoise happily munches away on his breakfast

This tortoise is estimated to be 200 years old. He is one of a population of ancient creatures that live on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos. Protected, the animals roam freely and enjoy a harmonious existence with the people who share their home with the tortoises. Even visitors are gently reminded of the rules that prevent our human presence from impacting these beautiful creatures. The Galapagos tortoise is the largest living species of tortoise, capable of reaching 417kg (919lbs). They can live almost 200 years. To put that in perspective, some of the tortoise seen roaming the islands today might actually have been alive when Charles Darwin made his historic voyage aboard the HMS Beagle in the early 1800s. It was his time on these islands, along with the discoveries he made, that led him to the famous theory of evolution that has changed the way we view the world, and the way we view ourselves.