What to Know
- Four 2025 hatchlings of critically endangered Western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoises at the Philadelphia Zoo are being hailed as critical in the species' survival.
- The parents -- aptly named Mommy and daddy Abrazzo -- are the historic zoo's oldest residents, each estimated to be around a century old, the Philadelphia Zoo said.
- “This is a significant milestone in the history of Philadelphia Zoo, and we couldn’t be more excited to share this news with our city, region, and the world,” Philadelphia Zoo President & CEO Dr. Jo-Elle Mogerman said.
Could you imagine having to deal with four babies at around 100 years old?
That's the case for a pair of critically endangered Western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoises after four baby tortoises recently hatched at the Philadelphia Zoo.
The parents -- aptly-named Mommy and daddy Abrazzo -- are the historic zoo's oldest residents, each estimated to be around a century old, the zoo said on April 3. Despite the name, Mommy had never hatched eggs before, the zoo said.
The first new tortoise hatched on Feb. 27, the zoo said. And, more eggs could hatch in the days and weeks ahead.
Hatching of rare tortoises part of Species Survival Plan
“This is a significant milestone in the history of Philadelphia Zoo, and we couldn’t be more excited to share this news with our city, region, and the world,” Philadelphia Zoo President & CEO Dr. Jo-Elle Mogerman said. “Mommy arrived at the Zoo in 1932, meaning anyone that has visited the Zoo for the last 92 years has likely seen her."
Mommy is also considered to be "one of the most genetically valuable Galapagos tortoises in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP)," the zoo said.
"The hatchlings, currently behind-the-scenes inside the Reptile and Amphibian House, are eating and growing appropriately, weighing between 70-80 grams (about the weight of a chicken egg)," the zoo said.
The survival plan the zoo referenced is a framework to ensure the tortoise species does not become extinct.
"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 zoo said. "The last clutch of Western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoises to hatch in an AZA accredited zoo was in 2019."
"Philadelphia Zoo’s vision is that those hatchlings will be a part of a thriving population of Galapagos tortoises on our healthy planet 100 years from now," Mogerman said.
When can you catch a glimpse of the baby Western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoises?
The zoo said it plans to show off the hatchlings -- which have yet to be named -- on April 23, which marks the 93rd anniversary of Mommy's arrival at the zoo.
Stay tuned.
