Colossal Foundation Invests $500,000 to Restore America's Largest Tortoise to the Southwest

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Nov 13, 2025, 10:03 ET

Long-term partnership with Turner Endangered Species Fund advances North America's most successful Pleistocene rewilding effort

DALLAS, Nov. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Colossal Foundation, the 501(c)(3) charitable organization associated with Colossal, the de-extinction company, announced a $500,000, five-year partnership with the Turner Endangered Species Fund (TESF) to accelerate recovery of the Bolson tortoise (Gopherus flavomarginatus), North America's largest and rarest tortoise species, within its prehistoric range, marking a critical advancement for Pleistocene rewilding efforts.

Key Highlights

Bolson tortoise (Gopherus flavomarginatus)

Historic Recovery: The Bolson tortoise is the first Pleistocene megafauna species to be repatriated to its prehistoric U.S. range after more than 10,000 years of local extinction.
Conservation Success: TESF has grown the population from 23 adults to over 800 individuals through captive breeding, with over 150 juveniles released since 2021 showing 80%+ survival rates.
Ecosystem Impact: As a keystone species, Bolson tortoises create burrows that provide critical habitat for numerous desert animals, enhancing biodiversity across southwestern ecosystems.
Urgent Need: Currently listed as Critically Endangered by IUCN and Endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act due to habitat loss, climate change, and illegal harvest
Ambitious Goal: Partnership aims to establish three or more self-sustaining, free-ranging populations by 2031.

"By returning the Bolson tortoise—la Tortuga Grande—to landscapes it last knew in the late Pleistocene, we're proving that restoration can reach further back than the post-Columbian record," said Mike Phillips, Executive Director of Turner Endangered Species Fund. "When historical ranges can't guarantee survival, prehistoric refuges may hold the key. Choosing that path affirms that recovery, not extinction, is still ours to decide—and the Colossal Foundation's commitment is a powerful choice in the tortoise's favor."

The Colossal Foundation's investment will support genetic sequencing, population monitoring, and the release of at least 100 additional juvenile tortoises across Armendaris Ranch and dozens more to the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge. These efforts aim to establish three or more self-sustaining, free-ranging populations by 2031. This initiative is part of The Colossal Foundation's Species Reintroduction Fund, a global effort leveraging cutting-edge conservation technologies to restore keystone species worldwide.

Learn More

Full Release & Media Kit:https://colossal.com/news/
Bolson Tortoise Conservation:www.ColossalFoundation.org
Species Page:www.colossal.com/species/bolson-tortoise
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Colossal

About the Colossal Foundation

The Colossal Foundation is a 501(c)(3) dedicated to supporting cutting-edge conservation technologies globally to prevent extinction of keystone species. The organization deploys de-extinction technologies to empower field partners in reversing the extinction crisis.

Media Contact

Colossal: [email protected]
Thinkerbell: [email protected]

SOURCE Colossal Foundation