Galápagos tortoise at Philadelphia zoo becomes oldest first-time mother

 Big news from the Philadelphia Zoo. After over 150 years, they’ve welcomed four adorable hatchlings of the critically endangered Western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoise. Born to the zoo’s oldest residents — 100-year-old Mommy and Abrazzo — the little ones are a hopeful sign for conservation efforts.

… The first hatchling made its debut on February 27, with more eggs still under observation, and they’re set to greet the public on April 23, just in time for Mom’s 93rd anniversary at the zoo.

Something exciting is happening at the Philadelphia Zoo! We're overjoyed to announce the hatching of four critically endangered Western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoises for the first time in the Zoo’s 150+ year history! The hatchlings’ parents, female Mommy and male Abrazzo, are the Zoo’s two oldest residents, each estimated to be around 100 years old. Mommy is considered one of the most genetically valuable Galapagos tortoises in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP). And...she's the oldest first-time mom of her species.

The hatchlings are currently behind-the-scenes inside the Reptile and Amphibian House and are eating and growing appropriately. The animal care team is also still monitoring more eggs that could hatch in the coming weeks. The babies are part of the AZA SSP breeding program to ensure the survival of this species and maintain a genetically diverse population. Western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoises are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) with threats including human-wildlife conflict, the introduction of invasive species, and habitat loss.

The last clutch of Western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoises to hatch in an AZA accredited zoo was in 2019 at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in South Carolina. Other zoos with breeding pairs of this species include San Diego Zoo, Zoo Miami and Honolulu Zoo.