Galapagos tortoises at Philadelphia Zoo become first-time parents at nearly 100
A pair of critically endangered, nearly 100-year-old Galapagos tortoises at the Philadelphia Zoo have become first-time parents.
In an announcement Friday, the zoo said it is 'overjoyed' at the arrival of the four hatchlings, a first in its more than 150-year history.
The babies are the offspring of female Mommy and male Abrazzo, the zoo's two oldest residents.
The quartet is being kept behind the scenes inside the Reptile and Amphibian House for now, 'eating and growing appropriately,' the zoo said.
They weigh between 70 and 80 grams, about the weight of a chicken egg. The first egg hatched on February 27 and more that still could hatch are being monitored by the zoo's animal care team.
'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,' President and CEO Jo-Elle Mogerman said in a statement.
'Mommy arrived at the Zoo in 1932, meaning anyone that has visited the Zoo for the last 92 years has likely seen her,' she said.
'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.'
Mommy is considered one of the most genetically valuable Galapagos tortoises in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' species survival plan.
She is also the oldest first-time mom of the Western Santa Cruz Galapagos species.
The last clutch of such tortoises to hatch at an AZA-accredited zoo was in 2019 at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, South Carolina.
The San Diego Zoo, Zoo Miami and Honolulu Zoo also have breeding pairs.
The zoo plans a public debut of the hatchlings on April 23, as well as a naming contest.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Axios
21 hours ago
- Axios
Columbus Zoo is on baby elephant watch
Talk about big news: For the first time in the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium's history, two Asian elephants are pregnant at the same time — and one is due any day now. Why it matters: The species is endangered, and its population in accredited zoos is currently unsustainable due to dwindling numbers and a lack of genetic diversity, according to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The calves' father — Sabu, from the Cincinnati Zoo, who lived here temporarily — has no living offspring, so the births will bolster the gene pool. The big picture: The news comes as some zoos are moving away from keeping elephants amid increasing care standards, which require lots of space and expense. Others, like Columbus, are investing more by expanding habitats, encouraging breeding, and working with global partners to conserve wild elephants. Advocates say keeping elephants is important for research and education. A 2023 AZA strategic plan calls for increased collaboration among zoos, including transferring animals for breeding. Threat level:"If we don't do something as a group, we're not going to have elephants in 100 years," says Adam Felts, senior zoo curator and head of the AZA's Species Survival Plan. At last count, there were 157 Asian elephants in 27 AZA institutions. Zoom in: Felts took Axios behind the scenes to meet 38-year-old matriarch Phoebe, who is expecting her sixth calf. She's "all business," with a big appetite. The 7,400-pound pachyderm calmly used her trunk to funnel biscuits into her mouth while a veterinarian scanned her with an ultrasound probe. Her calf is likely the size of a Great Dane. It's impossible to see the entire thing in one image, but vets can view ribs, a skull or a beating heart. All appear healthy. Another elephant, 16-year-old Sunny, is due with her first calf between now and August, while Phoebe is due in the fall. Keepers hope the experienced mom will show Sunny the ropes. They're encouraged by her bond with Phoebe's 3-year-old calf, Frankie, who still lives at the zoo. The arrangement should mimic wild herd behaviors, in which females raise the young together and males are mostly solitary. The intrigue: The new calves will make history in another way, as Columbus' first to be vaccinated for elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV). The devastating virus is the leading cause of death among AZA elephants, and calves are especially at risk. A vaccine became available last year. What's next: Elephants are pregnant up to 22 months, so expect lots of fanfare when the 200-plus-pound bundles of joy finally arrive. 1 fun prenatal ritual: elephant yoga Impress your friends with this fun fact: the Columbus Zoo's herd is trained in "elephant yoga." How it works: The elephants follow a target and maneuver into various poses, such as stretching their feet and trunks, kneeling, and lying on the ground. Between the lines: Keepers say practicing the moves keeps them limber and engaged. It also helps them learn to get into positions for routine health monitoring, such as blood draws, exams and ultrasounds. 😅 Alissa's thought bubble: I definitely couldn't move as gracefully during my pregnancy as 7,400-pound Phoebe does. Impressive.
San Francisco Chronicle
2 days ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
If people stopped having babies, how long would it be before humans were all gone?
(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) If people stopped having babies, how long would it be before humans were all gone? – Jeffrey Very few people live beyond a century. So, if no one had babies anymore, there would probably be no humans left on Earth within 100 years. But first, the population would shrink as older folks died and no one was being born. Even if all births were to suddenly cease, this decline would start slowly. Eventually there would not be enough young people coming of age to do essential work, causing societies throughout the world to quickly fall apart. Some of these breakdowns would be in humanity's ability to produce food, provide health care and do everything else we all rely on. Food would become scarce even though there would be fewer people to feed. As an anthropology professor who has spent his career studying human behavior, biology and cultures, I readily admit that this would not be a pretty picture. Eventually, civilization would crumble. It's likely that there would not be many people left within 70 or 80 years, rather than 100, due to shortages of food, clean water, prescription drugs and everything else that you can easily buy today and need to survive. Sudden change could follow a catastrophe To be sure, an abrupt halt in births is highly unlikely unless there's a global catastrophe. Here's one potential scenario, which writer Kurt Vonnegut explored in his novel 'Galapagos ': A highly contagious disease could render all people of reproductive age infertile – meaning that no one would be capable of having babies anymore. Another possibility might be a nuclear war that no one survives – a topic that's been explored in many scary movies and books. A lot of these works are science fiction involving a lot of space travel. Others seek to predict a less fanciful Earth-bound future where people can no longer reproduce easily, causing collective despair and the loss of personal freedom for those who are capable of having babies. Two of my favorite books along these lines are ' The Handmaid's Tale,' by Canadian writer Margaret Atwood, and ' The Children of Men,' by British writer P.D. James. They are dystopian stories, meaning that they take place in an unpleasant future with a great deal of human suffering and disorder. And both have become the basis of television series and movies. In the 1960s and 1970s, many people also worried that there would be too many people on Earth, which would cause different kinds of catastrophes. Those scenarios also became the focus of dystopian books and movies. Heading toward 10 billion people To be sure, the number of people in the world is still growing, even though the pace of that growth has slowed down. Experts who study population changes predict that the total will peak at 10 billion in the 2080s, up from 8 billion today and 4 billion in 1974. The U.S. population currently stands at 342 million. That's about 200 million more people than were here when I was born in the 1930s. This is a lot of people, but both worldwide and in the U.S. these numbers could gradually fall if more people die than are born. About 3.6 million babies were born in the U.S. in 2024, down from 4.1 million in 2004. Meanwhile, about 3.3 million people died in 2022, up from 2.4 million 20 years earlier. One thing that will be important as these patterns change is whether there's a manageable balance between young people and older people. That's because the young often are the engine of society. They tend to be the ones to implement new ideas and produce everything we use. Also, many older people need help from younger people with basic activities, like cooking and getting dressed. And a wide range of jobs are more appropriate for people under 65 rather than those who have reached the typical age for retirement. Declining birth rates In many countries, women are having fewer children throughout their reproductive lives than used to be the case. That reduction is the most stark in several countries, including India and South Korea. The declines in birth rates occurring today are largely caused by people choosing not to have any children or as many as their parents did. That kind of population decline can be kept manageable through immigration from other countries, but cultural and political concerns often stop that from happening. At the same time, many men are becoming less able to father children due to fertility problems. If that situation gets much worse, it could contribute to a steep decline in population. Neanderthals went extinct Our species, Homo sapiens, has been around for at least 200,000 years. That's a long time, but like all animals on Earth we are at risk of becoming extinct. Consider what happened to the Neanderthals, a close relative of Homo sapiens. They first appeared at least 400,000 years ago. Our modern human ancestors overlapped for a while with the Neanderthals, who gradually declined to become extinct about 40,000 years ago. Some scientists have found evidence that modern humans were more successful at reproducing our numbers than the Neanderthal people. This occurred when Homo sapiens became more successful at providing food for their families and also having more babies than the Neanderthals. If humans were to go extinct, it could open up opportunities for other animals to flourish on Earth. On the other hand, it would be sad for humans to go away because we would lose all of the great achievements people have made, including in the arts and science. In my view, we need to take certain steps to ensure that we have a long future on our own planet. These include controlling climate change and avoiding wars. Also, we need to appreciate the fact that having a wide array of animals and plants makes the planet healthy for all creatures, including our own species. Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you'd like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to CuriousKidsUS@ Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live. And since curiosity has no age limit – adults, let us know what you're wondering, too. We won't be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Yahoo
Meet Chili: Lee Richardson Zoo welcomes giant anteater
GARDEN CITY, Kan. (KSNW) — A young giant anteater named Chili is the latest addition to Lee Richardson Zoo in Garden City. The 3-year-old female, who arrived earlier this month from Fresno Chaffee Zoo in California, is slowly being introduced to her new surroundings and is expected to make her public debut later this week. Also known by her Spanish nickname 'Aji,' Chili has been behind the scenes in routine quarantine but was recently introduced to a holding area near her habitat. Zoo officials say she will make her public debut later this week, joining three greater rheas—two of which arrived last fall. Giant anteaters, native to Central and South America, are recognized for their long snouts and tongues used to feed on ants and termites. They lack teeth and rely on formic acid for digestion. Currently classified as Vulnerable, their populations are declining due to habitat loss, fires, and poaching. Doo-Dah Diner owners sell as they face health challenge Chili is part of a Species Survival Plan managed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. About 90 giant anteaters live in nearly 50 accredited zoos across North America. Zoo visitors are encouraged to stop by the South American exhibit to see Chili and learn more about this unique species. For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. To watch our shows live on our website, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
