Philadelphia Zoo Makes History as Nearly 100-Year-Old Endangered Galápagos Tortoises Become First-Time Parents by Caroline Welch It took nearly a century, but the Philadelphia Zoo has just welcomed four new additions , a fter decades of challenges in breeding and find ing a compatible mate for their resident tortoise , Mommy. Long-time zoo resident 97-year-old Mommy and her 96-year-old mate, Abrazzo (uh-BRAHTS-oh), are now officially parents. Four rare Galápagos tortoises have hatched at the Philadelphia Zoo, marking the first successful breeding of the endangered species in the zoo’s history. The baby tortoises, each weighing between 70 to 90 grams, begin hatching in late February. NBC News reports that the eggs were laid in November and incubated under controlled temperatures to help determine the hatchlings’ sex. The tortoises belong to the endangered Western Santa Cruz species. ABC News report s that there ar...
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