Almost 100 years old and now having little ones for the first time

Big and especially surprising news from the Philadelphia Zoo in the US state of Pennsylvania.

The female tortoise 'Mommy' has been living in the American zoo since 1932 and, along with her male partner 'Abrazzo', who only moved to the zoo in 2020 for a breeding programme but is also nearly 100 years old, has brought four little Galapagos tortoises into the world. The almost century-old couple provides a joyful event since this species of tortoise is endangered.

It is certainly exceptional for this couple to reproduce at the age of 100, but the Galapagos tortoise can live to be between 100 and 200 years old. They can grow up to 2 metres long and weigh up to 415 kg. However, Galapagos tortoises are severely threatened by habitat loss and illegal trade. There are estimated to be only about 20,000 to 25,000 left in the wild.

(Raul Stiens - Source: The Daily Record - Illustration: ©Unsplash)