Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe
The Philadelphia Zoo announced the hatching of four critically endangered Western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoises, the first of their species to hatch at the facility in its history.
The zoo said the first egg hatched Feb. 27 and the others emerged from their eggs in the ensuing weeks. Zookeepers said they are still monitoring multiple eggs that could still hatch in the coming weeks. Advertisement
The eggs were laid by Mommy, a tortoise estimated to be about 100 years old who is considered a key asset for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan. The father of the babies, Abrazzo, is also believed to be about 100 years old.
The hatchlings are scheduled to make their public debut April 23, which is also the 93rd anniversary of the day Mommy first arrived at the zoo.
“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,” Jo-Elle Mogerman, the zoo’s president and CEO, said in a news release. “Mommy arrived at the Zoo in 1932, meaning anyone that has visited the zoo for the last 92 years has likely seen her. 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.” Advertisement
Abrazzo came to the zoo in 2020, and Mommy has since laid four clutches of eggs, but the first three did not produce any viable hatchlings.
