Two endangered Galapagos tortoises have become parents for the first time at nearly the age of 100, the Philadelphia Zoo has announced. The zoo said it was "overjoyed" to see female Mommy and male Abrazzo welcome four hatchlings, a first in the zoo's 150-year existence.
Mommy, around 97 years old, has been at the Philadelphia Zoo since April 1932. Abrazzo is estimated to be 96 years old. He was brought to the zoo in December 2020.
The zoo said the Galapagos tortoises can live up to 200 years, which puts them firmly in middle age.
According to a zoo announcement on Thursday, the first hatchling appeared on February 27. Others followed in a matter of days, and the final one hatched on March 6.
The zoo mentioned that the four hatchlings, weighing between 70 and 80 grams, are currently being housed behind the scenes in the Reptile and Amphibian House, "eating and growing appropriately."
Mommy is considered one of the most genetically valuable Galapagos tortoises in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan, the zoo said in an Instagram post. She's also become the oldest first-time mom of her species, it said.
"The hatchlings will make their public debut on Wednesday, April 23, which is the 93rd anniversary of Mommy's arrival at the Zoo," it said.
President and CEO Jo-Elle Mogerman told CNN that it was 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."
Lauren Augustine, the zoo's director of herpetology, said the baby tortoises were doing "fantastic" and they are "about the size of a tennis ball and they are pretty feisty."
The young tortoises are probably never going to be in the same physical vicinity as their parents. The hatchlings run the risk of being crushed due to their parents' massive size-Mommy weighs about 127 kg, while Abrazzo weighs 185 kg.
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