Galapagos tortoises become first-time parents at 100

A pair of nearly 100-year-old Galapagos tortoises has welcomed four baby hatchlings at a US zoo.

In an announcement on Friday, the Philadelphia Zoo said it is “overjoyed” at the arrivals of the four hatchlings, a first in its more than 150-year history.

The babies are the offspring of female Mommy and male Abrazzo, the zoo’s two oldest residents.

The quartet is being kept behind the scenes inside the Reptile and Amphibian House for now, “eating and growing appropriately,” the zoo said.

They weigh between 70 and 80 grams, about the weight of a chicken egg.

The first egg hatched on February 27 and more that still could hatch are being monitored by the zoo’s animal care team.

“This is a significant milestone in the history of Philadelphia Zoo, and we couldn’t be more excited to share this news with our city, region and the world,” President and CEO Jo-Elle Mogerman said in a statement.

“Mommy arrived at the zoo in 1932, meaning anyone that has visited the zoo for the last 92 years has likely seen her,” she said.

“Philadelphia Zoo’s vision is that those hatchlings will be a part of a thriving population of Galapagos tortoises on our healthy planet 100 years from now.”

Mommy is considered one of the most genetically valuable Galapagos tortoises in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ species survival plan.

She is also the oldest first-time mum of the Western Santa Cruz Galapagos species.

The zoo plans a public debut of the hatchlings on April 23, as well as a naming contest.

(Australian Associated Press)