If ever there was a tortoise with a claim to fame ... it was 'Lonesome George.' As the last known Pinta Island tortoise in the world, George became a worldwide conservation icon decades before he died in 2012 – a suspected centenarian!

George's remains were sent to the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), where staff hope that a post-mortem makeover can help keep George's legacy alive for generations of museum-goers. "It's so important that we preserve him so that people have the opportunity to experience [the species] in the future," says AMNH. 

The museum's scientific staff teamed up with an expert taxidermist to ensure that the massive animal's preservation would be both beautiful and scientifically accurate – focusing on everything from the look and feel of the skin to the tortoise's final stance. These finer details are especially important given the rarity of obtaining such a pristine specimen of an extinct species!