86 year-old reintroduced indigenous giant toirtoises to the island he bought in 1962

In 1962, acting on a whim, British newspaper editor Brendon Grimshaw bought the tiny deserted island of Moyenne in the Seychelles for £8,000. He moved to the island permanently in 1972 and now, a half century later, the 86 year-old lives there all alone but for with the giant tortoises that he reintroduced to the island. In addition to the tortoises, Grimshaw has planted 16,000 trees, attracting thousands of birds.

Developers have reportedly offered the real-life Robinson Crusoe $50 million plus for the island, but he has always refused to sell. In 2008, Moyenne Island was named a national park of the Seychelles.

Grimshaw and Moyenne Island are the subject of a documentary, A Grain of Sand by Joseph Johnson Cami. Watch the trailer here.

(via Wilder Quarterly)

Photos via A Grain of Sand