In the pantheon of evolutionary icons they have prime status – for biologists they are the closest thing to Mecca. Now the Galapagos islands are facing a two-pronged attack.
On one side are the rats, goats and other alien species that have made the islands their home, to the detriment of local flora and fauna and on the other, the hordes of eco-tourists descending on the equatorial paradise.
Last year around 126,000 people visited the Galapagos, and cruise ship companies have recently added the islands to their destinations. Felipe Cruz of the Charles Darwin Foundation, dedicated to conserving the islands, believes…
