Galapagos volcano erupts for first time in 33 years, threatening rare pink iguanas
Video: Wolf Volcano is the highest point on the archipelago
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A volcano on the Galapagos Islands has erupted for the first time in three decades, threatening the local ecosystem, in particular the endangered pink iguana.
The Ecuadoran island's Wolf volcano began spewing ash and lava in the early hours of May 25, local authorities said. The volcano, which is located on Isabela Island and is just over a mile high, is the tallest point in the Galapagos, which consists of 19 islands.
The archipelago is famous around the world for its role in helping Charles Darwin to formulate his theory of evolution, after the English naturalist visited the islands on the HMS Beagle in 1835.
Following the eruption, the Galapagos National Park said on Twitter: "The Wolf volcano is not located near a populated area. There is not risk for the human population. This is the only population of pink iguanas in the world."
The islands have a human population of around 25,000 people, but the Galápagos Pink Land Iguana is extremely small and prone to sudden demographic, genetic and environmental changes.
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species notes that eruptions from the Wolf volcano may have caused local extinctions of the land iguana on Isabela Island.
However, the Environment Ministry said that the lava from the volcano was flowing down the southern face, while the pink iguanas inhabit the northern side of the Wolf volcano.
However, if the lava reaches the sea, it could harm local marine life.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments