Critically Endangered Tortoises Born at Philadelphia Zoo

ProCon Debate: Should Zoos Exist?

ProCon Issue in the News: Two centenarian Western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoises, Mommy and Abrazzo, have become parents at the Philadelphia Zoo.

Part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP), Mommy arrived at the Philadelphia Zoo in 1932. She is “one of the most genetically valuable Galapagos tortoises” and is the oldest first-time mom of her species in the program, according to the zoo. Mommy has previously laid three clutches of eggs, but none were viable. Abrazzo arrived in Philadelphia from Columbia, South Carolina, in December 2020.

According to Lauren Augustine, the zoo’s director of herpetology and birds, “This successful outcome comes from years of hard work studying animal behavior and providing top-level care. Until now, Mommy’s genes were not represented in the AZA population, making these offspring extremely important in the protection of this species.”

This clutch of 16 eggs was laid in November 2024, and the first baby tortoise, a female, hatched on February 27, 2025. She, along with three more females that had hatched by early April, were named for the star characters on the hit TV show The Golden Girls: Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia. The babies were placed on display to the public on April 23, 2025, which was the 93rd anniversary of Mommy’s arrival at the Philadelphia Zoo.

Three male tortoises from the November clutch had hatched by May 15 but were not yet named. The zoo was also monitoring nine viable eggs from a clutch of 16 that Mommy laid in January 2025: six males and three females.

According to the Philadelphia Zoo:

Female tortoises typically lay 2-20 white, hard-shelled, spherical eggs about the size of billiard balls in a hole they dig. After Mommy laid her 16 eggs in November 2024, the reptile and amphibian team dug them up to incubate eight as male and eight as female. The sex of Galapagos tortoise hatchlings is determined by the incubation temperature. Temperatures below 82.4°F produce males and above 85.1°F produce females. Eggs hatch after four to eight months.

The Western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoise is listed as critically endangered, meaning it faces an extremely high risk of extinction in wild habitats. The last clutch to hatch in an AZA zoo was in 2019 at the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, South Carolina. Breeding pairs also live in the San Diego Zoo, Zoo Miami, and the Honolulu Zoo. Before the successful Philadelphia Zoo clutch, there were only 44 Western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoises in U.S. zoos.

Rachel Metz, Philadelphia Zoo’s vice president of animal well-being and conservation, said, “At one point, each of the Galapagos Islands had its own unique Galapagos tortoise, but sadly, several of them are now extinct. These hatchlings not only protect the species from extinction, but serve as important ambassadors to inspire guests to save wildlife and wild places.” Western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoises are native to the second largest of the Galapagos Islands, Santa Cruz.

Discussion Questions

1. Read the debate and decide: Should zoos exist? Why or why not?
2. Should zoos work to save animals that are critically endangered? Why or why not?
3. Consider methods such as fur clothing bans and single-use plastic bans to protect animals. Are these, and other methods, useful? Explain your answer.

Sources

• Ayana Archie, “Four Critically Endangered Galápagos Tortoises Hatch at the Philadelphia Zoo” (April 9, 2025), npr.org
• Philadelphia Zoo, “Four Critically Endangered Galapagos Tortoises Hatch at Philadelphia Zoo, First Successful Hatching of this Species in Zoo’s History” (April 3, 2025), philadelphiazoo.org
• Philadelphia Zoo, “Meet Our Hatchlings” (accessed June 5, 2025), philadelphiazoo.org
• Philadelphia Zoo, “Three More Critically Endangered Galapagos Tortoises Hatch at Philadelphia Zoo” (May 15, 2025), philadelphiazoo.org