The oldest resident at the San Diego Zoo has passed away, surpassing all previous caretakers in age. Gramma, a Galapagos tortoise native to her habitat, was approximately 141 years old at the time of her death, as confirmed by zoo officials. She peacefully passed away on Thursday.
While the exact date of Gramma’s arrival at the San Diego Zoo remains unclear, records indicate that she was transferred from the Bronx Zoo in 1928 or 1931 as part of the initial group of Galapagos tortoises. Throughout her time at the zoo, Gramma captivated visitors with her gentle and reserved demeanor, witnessing the evolution of the world, including two world wars and the administrations of 20 U.S. presidents.
Revered by her care specialists as “the Queen of the Zoo,” Gramma had been struggling with age-related bone issues, which had recently worsened, prompting the zoo to make the difficult decision to euthanize her. Many individuals took to social media to share their memories of visiting Gramma as children and returning with their own kids years later.
One visitor, Cristina Park, reminisced about her childhood visit to the San Diego Zoo, where she rode on a tortoise’s back at the age of three or four. While such interactions are no longer permitted, Park’s experience sparked her interest in tortoise conservation, leading her to keep a desert tortoise as a pet.
Galapagos tortoises, comprising 15 subspecies from the islands, have faced significant threats, with three subspecies declared extinct and the remainder classified as vulnerable or critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Conservation efforts have been instrumental in breeding these tortoises in captivity, with over 10,000 juveniles released into the wild since 1965, aiding in the recovery of certain subspecies from the brink of extinction.
In a remarkable event, the Philadelphia Zoo welcomed four baby Galapagos tortoises in April, born to parents aged around 100 years, marking a historic milestone for the zoo. Similarly, Zoo Miami’s resident tortoise, Goliath, became a first-time father at the age of 135 in June.
The longevity of Galapagos tortoises is well-documented, with the oldest known tortoise, Harriet, living until the age of 175 at the Australia Zoo. Harriet, collected from the Galapagos Islands in 1835 when she was the size of a dinner plate, passed away in 2006, having lived a remarkable life spanning nearly two centuries.