Volcano Wolf, located in the Galapagos archipelago in Ecuador and home to the world’s unique pink iguanas, has begun a new eruption process, according to the leadership of the Galapagos National Park.
On its Twitter account, the institution posted a photo from the scene, which was captured by the rangers.
Pink iguanas (Conolophus marthae), a unique species in the world, inhabit this volcano located on Isabela Island, where they live alongside the yellow iguanas and giant tortoises Chelonoidis becky.
Neither Galapagos National Park nor the local ministry of the environment has yet said if the species was affected by the eruption.
The first mention of a volcanic eruption dates back to 1797.
Wolf volcano
Wolf is the highest volcano in the archipelago at 1707 meters above sea level and one of five active volcanoes on Isabela Island, along with the Sierra Negra, Cerro Azul, Alsedo and Darwin.
Volcano Volcano is not located near the settlement and does not pose a danger to the population.
According to the Geophysical Institute, from 00:20 local time (07:20 GMT), a cloud of gas and ash can be observed, which reaches an altitude of 3793 meters above sea level in the northeast to 1943 meters above sea level in the west. sea.
Preservation
In August last year, experts from various organizations analyzed strategies to conserve the pink iguana, a rare species that usually lives at 1,500 meters above sea level and with little known about its behavior or threats.
The analysis involved the management of the Galapagos National Park (PNG), Galapagos Conservancy, Island Conservation and Re: Wild.
Since the last census taken early last August, a population of 211 pink iguanas has been counted on Wolf Volcano, although 53 have been found and captured, 94% of which lived above 1,500 meters above sea level.
conservation plan
Among the first actions of the conservation plan are gathering information, building a permanent hut on the volcano, and controlling the species.
Experts believe it is vital to determine when and where pink iguanas nest.
Last August, Washington Tapia, director of conservation for the Galapagos Conservation Area, indicated that “limiting to one location makes a species more vulnerable, which the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) considers endangered.”
The Galapagos Islands, located in the Pacific Ocean about 1000 km west of the coast of Ecuador, named after the giant turtles inhabiting them, are composed of 13 large islands, 6 smaller and 42 islets and are considered a natural laboratory. which allowed the English scientist Charles Darwin to develop his theory of evolution and natural selection of species.
