The San Diego Zoo is mourning the loss of its oldest and most regal resident, a Galapagos tortoise named Gramma, who has died at the remarkable age of 141.
Affectionately known as 'the Queen of the Zoo' by her care specialists, Gramma was euthanised on 20 November after age-related bone conditions progressed. She had been a fixture at the zoo for nearly a century, delighting generations of visitors with her sweet and shy nature.
A Century at the Zoo
Gramma's long life began in her native habitat before she made her way to the San Diego Zoo. While the precise date is uncertain, zoo officials confirmed she arrived from the Bronx Zoo in either 1928 or 1931 as part of the institution's inaugural group of Galapagos tortoises.
Her life spanned an incredible period of modern history. Gramma lived through two world wars and the terms of 20 US presidents. For over a hundred years, she enjoyed a simple diet of her favourite foods: romaine lettuce and cactus fruit.
A Legacy Spanning Generations
The tortoise's impact extended far beyond her enclosure. On social media, many visitors shared heartfelt memories of first seeing Gramma as children and then returning decades later with their own sons and daughters.
One visitor, Cristina Park, 69, recalled one of her earliest childhood memories was visiting the zoo at three or four years old and riding on the back of a tortoise. Although such interactions are no longer permitted, the experience inspired her lifelong passion for tortoise conservation.
"Just how amazing it is that they managed to live through so much," Park reflected. "And yet they’re still there."
The Fight for Galapagos Tortoise Survival
Gramma's story highlights the fascinating biology and conservation efforts surrounding her species. Galapagos tortoises can live for over a century in the wild and nearly double that in captivity.
The record for the oldest known Galapagos tortoise belongs to Harriet, who lived to be 175 at the Australia Zoo before her death in 2006. Harriet was collected from the Galapagos Islands in 1835 when she was just the size of a dinner plate.
Today, the 15 subspecies of Galapagos tortoises face significant threats. Three subspecies are already extinct, and the remainder are classified as vulnerable or critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
However, there is hope. Concerted captive breeding programmes over recent decades have seen more than 10,000 juvenile tortoises released into the wild since 1965, according to the Galapagos Conservancy. Some subspecies have been successfully brought back from the brink of extinction.
In a promising sign for the species' future, the Philadelphia Zoo celebrated the birth of four baby Galapagos tortoises in April to first-time parents roughly 100 years old. Similarly, Zoo Miami resident Goliath became a first-time father in June at the age of 135.
Gramma's long life serves as a powerful testament to the resilience of her species and the importance of ongoing conservation work to protect these magnificent creatures for future generations.
