Names announced for four endangered tortoises born at Pennsylvania zoo
PHILADELPHIA (WTAJ) — The four critically endangered Galapagos Tortoise hatchlings that were born at the end of February have now officially been named thanks to help from the public.
In late February, Mommy and Abrazzo, two of the oldest residents at the Philadelphia Zoo, started a family of their very own. Each was around 100 years old when Mommy laid her four eggs. The babies, four little girls, made their official debut on April 23, which is also the 93rd anniversary of Mommy's arrival at the zoo.
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In order to help name the new babies, the zoo held a naming contest, and over 13,000 people weighed in on the name choices. However, ultimately, the very popular show 'Golden Girls' ended up being the inspiration behind the winning names. The four tortoises are named Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sophia!
The zoo added that alongside the voting for naming the turtles, they hosted a tortoise painting auction and were able to raise $10,500 for their conservation fund.
The babies are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP). This program is working to ensure the survival of species like the critically endangered Western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoises.
It's safe to say these little ladies mean an awful lot to the people and to the program that's working to ensure their survival.
You can learn more about the AZA program and the Western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoises on the Philadelphia Zoo website.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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