Giant tortoises revive Wright's gardenia on Aride Island, Seychelles

On a small island in the Indian Ocean, a genuine comeback is underway. Here, an exceptionally rare tree that had nearly disappeared is taking root again — with a surprising assist from giant tortoises.

A small island with a big story

Aride Island is one of the tiniest in the Seychelles. Compact as it is, its value to nature is outsized. It is the only place in the wild where Wright’s gardenia grows — a graceful tree with white blossoms found nowhere else on Earth. Once close to extinction, it has begun to regain ground.

Giant helpers

A few years ago, Aldabra giant tortoises were introduced to Aride. These large, gentle animals had not lived on the island before. Specialists reasoned that, since tortoises support ecosystems on other islands, they might do the same here.

The bet paid off. The tortoises eat fruits and then spread the seeds across the island, which leads to new seedlings. They also dig small hollows that collect rainwater, creating natural reservoirs. That moisture benefits plants and gives insects, birds, and other animals a much-needed boost.

A new generation of tortoises

In spring 2025, another 50 young tortoises, raised in a dedicated center, were brought to Aride. With their numbers growing, the island’s recovery is speeding up. The pattern is simple: the more tortoises, the more active the renewal.

The trees are coming back

The results arrived quickly. In 2025, scientists counted nearly 3,000 Wright’s gardenia trees on the island — about a thousand more than just a few years earlier. Even more telling, small seedlings are now sprouting across the island. That means the species is beginning to regenerate on its own, without human intervention.

Elsewhere, attempts to establish this gardenia have largely failed. Only Aride offers the conditions where it truly thrives, which is why the progress here stands out as a real success.

How it all fits together

Aride functions like a living system where everything is connected. Tortoises help the trees; the trees support other plants; and the flourishing greenery sustains insects and birds. Researchers have observed more moisture and greater diversity since the tortoises arrived. The island’s nature is stirring back to life — a change that feels both fragile and remarkably hopeful.

What comes next?

For now, the trajectory is positive, but close watch is still essential. Despite its rebound, Wright’s gardenia remains an endangered species. A shifting climate or the spread of harmful plants could quickly undercut the gains.

What matters most is that nature has room to recover. People gave it a nudge, and the ecosystem is doing the rest. The giant tortoises have become a quiet reminder that saving something rare doesn’t always require high-tech fixes — sometimes it means stepping back and letting nature work.