A volcano in the Galapagos Islands erupted for the first time in more than 30 years Monday, the National Park said, potentially threatening a unique species of pink iguanas.
"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 Galapagos National Park said on Twitter.
Volcán Wolf NO está ubicado cerca de zona habitada. NO hay riesgo para población humana. Aqui está única población iguanas rosadas del mundo
— Parq. Nac. Galápagos (@parquegalapagos)
May 25, 2015
Wolf Volcano, the northernmost volcano on Isabela island, is home to the pink iguana species, which were accidentally discovered by Galapagos National Park rangers in 1986. The volcano had been inactive 33 years, according to the park.
El volcán Wolf ubicado al norte de Isabela tiene 1.707 metros sobre el nivel del mar. Es el más alto de las islas pic.twitter.com/PQ9SJHaBRK
— Parq. Nac. Galápagos (@parquegalapagos)
May 25, 2015
“Wolf Volcano located at the north of Isabela is 1,707 meters above sea level. Its the tallest on the Islands”
Some 95 percent of the territory's 8,000 square kilometers is part of a protected area that is home to more than 50 species of animals and birds found nowhere else on the planet.
About 27,000 people live on the islands, a natural laboratory that provided British naturalist Charles Darwin with the basic knowledge for developing his theory of evolution.
In addition to the year-round residents of the Galapagos, more than 200,000 tourists visit the islands each year, making it one of Ecuador's main tourist attractions.
Tourism to the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador rose by 6 percent in 2014 based on Galapagos National Park data.
Galapagos island Wolf volcano just erupted massive ash cloud and lava flows this pic is breathtaking! pic.twitter.com/RkTiEE7loC
— DJStevieWonder (@DJSteveFromUK)
May 25, 2015