Gramma the Tortoise, the Oldest Resident of the San Diego Zoo, Has Died

• Gramma was the oldest tortoise in the San Diego Zoo and died on November 20.
• The tortoise survived two world wars and 20 U.S. presidents.
• Galapagos tortoises are endangered due to the threat of extinction.

At the San Diego Zoo, Gramma the tortoise, who was the oldest resident, passed away. She was approximately 141 years old and died on November 20.

Gramma was born in the Galapagos Islands and was transferred to the San Diego Zoo from the Bronx Zoo, likely in 1928 or 1931. She was referred to as the "crown jewel of the zoo" due to her good and friendly disposition.

Throughout her life, the tortoise survived two world wars and twenty U.S. presidents. In recent years, Gramma suffered from problems with her shell, likely caused by old age, which led to her euthanasia.

Many zoo visitors reminisced about how they first saw Gramma in their childhood and now bring their own children.

Galapagos tortoises can live over 100 years in the wild and often even longer in captivity. The oldest known Galapagos tortoise, named Harriet, lived to be 175 years old.

These tortoises are vulnerable or critically endangered due to poaching and habitat destruction. For the past several decades, efforts have been made for their breeding in captivity, with over 10,000 young tortoises bred in the wild since 1965.

Tags: USA/Ecology