Iconic Tortoise Lonesome George to be Preserved and Displayed in New York [VIDEO]

When Lonesome George died in June of 2012, it marked not only the death of a tortoise, but the end of the entire Pinta Island subspecies and an icon for conservation efforts around the world. Now, in a bid to ensure the legacy of Lonesome George lives on, the turtle will be preserved for posterity by an expert team of taxidermists and conservationists.

George's 200-pound corpse has been in cold storage in Ecuador since his death. In life, the 100-year-old Pinta Island tortoise had popularity that would rival most members of the animal kingdom. As the world's only known Pinta Island tortoise, Lonesome George was said to be the most famous and heavily photographed captive animal in the world. He got his name from his apparent aversion to females - despite numerous attempts to mate Lonesome George, none were successful and his death marked the end of the subspecies Geochelone abingdoni. (Although one study suggests that George's ancestors may live on in a remote part of the Galapagos Islands.)

James Gibbs, a professor at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry and director of the Roosevelt Wildlife Station, was charged with leading a team to preserve George's body.

"Moving a frozen, 200-pound tortoise from Galapagos to New York is a major logistical challenge and something of a headache. But I was really moved by the remarkable effort expended by so many people - park guards, agriculture inspectors, customs agents, colleagues and more - who took extra care in preparing and handling this sensitive, precious cargo," Gibbs said in a statement.

"This tortoise means so much to so many. That Ecuadorian children and future travelers to Galapagos will have the chance to gaze upon Lonesome George and think about the meaning of species extinction makes this effort worthwhile."

Gibbs has a long history with Lonesome George, so his selection to preserve the tortoise for future generations is fitting. Gibbs has traveled to the Galapagos for research trips about 40 times and was part of the team that searched for suitable mates for George in an attempt to prevent the subspecies from going extinct.

When George was first discovered in 1972, it had been nearly seven decades since the last Pinta Island tortoise had been seen. By then, George was about 60 years old, having survived the eradication of his brethren by human settlers, who over-harvested the massive reptiles for their meat and destroyed vegetation by introducing goats and pigs onto the tortoises' island habitat.

Once the taxidermy is complete this winter, Lonesome George will go on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City for a limited time. Afterwards, Lonesome George will be returned to Ecuador.