At 97, She Hatched Her First Babies — And Made History

Mommy the tortoise has lived a long, quiet life at the Philadelphia Zoo. She’s been there since 1932 — longer than most of us have been alive.

But in 2025, at the age of 97, she surprised everyone. She became a first-time mom. And not just any mom — the oldest first-time mom of her species ever.

Her babies? Four tiny Western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoises, each weighing about the same as a chicken egg — around 70 to 80 grams.

They were born in late February, and they’re the first of their kind to ever hatch at the Philadelphia Zoo in its 150-year history.

The father, Abrazzo, is no youngster either. He’s 96, just a year younger than Mommy. They’ve been paired up as part of a plan to help save their critically endangered species.

For the past two years, Mommy laid multiple clutches of eggs. Her most recent was in November 2024 — a group of 16 eggs.

This time, something clicked. Four of those eggs finally hatched. And several more eggs are still being watched closely.

Some were incubated at cooler temperatures, which might result in male tortoises.

Scientists believe all four hatchlings are female, based on the warm incubation temps. That’s good news — females are crucial for growing a future population.

But the zoo will confirm their sexes over time.

The babies are still incredibly small, but they won’t stay that way. Fully grown, females of this species can reach over 250 pounds.

Males can hit 500.

Right now, the little ones are being kept safe inside the Reptile and Amphibian House.

Zoo guests will get to meet them on April 23 — which also happens to be Mommy’s 93rd anniversary at the zoo.

It’s a special moment for the zoo. Most people in Philly have grown up seeing Mommy.

She’s been a constant — a familiar face for generations.

Now she’s passing on something much bigger than memories. She’s passing on her genes — and giving her species a fighting chance.

The Philadelphia Zoo says Mommy is one of the most genetically valuable Galapagos tortoises in human care.

Her babies are just as important. They’ll likely be part of future breeding programs to help save the species.

There’s still a long road ahead. But for now, this is a rare win for conservation.

A 97-year-old tortoise became a mom. And four tiny lives are the start of something big.