Doha: Ecuador's Ministry of Environment announced that scientists and forest rangers have released 150 giant tortoises onto Floreana Island in the Galapagos archipelago, after they had been extinct there for over a century.

According to Qatar News Agency, the ministry confirmed that the tortoises have adapted to their natural habitat after passing through volcanic terrain and challenging areas, where they had been living in a center within a national park in the Galapagos.

Each tortoise underwent a lengthy quarantine and was microchipped for identification before being released into the forest.