After more than a century spent enjoying her favourite meals of romaine lettuce and cactus fruit, Gramma, the oldest resident of the San Diego Zoo in the US, has died.
Zoo officials said the beloved Galapagos tortoise was estimated to be about 141 years old. She was born in her native habitat and died on November 20, living through two World Wars, two pandemics, and 20 US presidents.
It’s not known exactly when she first arrived in San Diego, but staff say she came from the Bronx Zoo either in 1928 or 1931 as part of the very first group of Galapagos tortoises ever brought to the zoo.
In her lifetime, Gramma became a quiet icon, charming generations of visitors with what keepers described as her “sweet and shy” personality.
Her care team affectionately called her “the Queen of the Zoo.” In recent years, Gramma had been suffering from age-related bone conditions that worsened before she was euthanised, the zoo said.
For many visitors, Gramma was more than just an exhibit, she was part of their own history. Countless people shared memories on social media of meeting her as children and later returning with kids of their own.
Cristina Park, 69, said one of her earliest childhood memories was riding on the back of a tortoise at the San Diego Zoo when she was three or four years old – something no longer permitted today. That moment, she said, inspired a lifelong interest in tortoise conservation and led her to keep a small desert tortoise as a pet.
“Just how amazing it is that they managed to live through so much,” Park said. “And yet they’re still there.”
The San Diego Zoo shared a tribute to Gramma on Instagram, posting a video of some of her sweetest moments.
“Gramma’s storied legacy at the Zoo spans nearly the entire history of the institution itself. She arrived between 1928–1931 as part of the first group of Galápagos tortoises to come to the Zoo,” they wrote.
They added: “This sweet, shy tortoise observed the Zoo’s creation and evolution. As the world around her experienced more than 20 U.S. presidents, two World Wars, and two pandemics, she gently touched countless lives over nearly a century in San Diego as an ambassador for reptile conservation worldwide.”
Her care team also reflected on the privilege of looking after her, saying “Gramma’s devoted care team shared that she particularly loved romaine lettuce and cactus fruit. In her memory, we invite you to enjoy a generous, fruit-filled salad, a special tribute for a very special tortoise.”
Galapagos tortoises can live for more than 100 years in the wild, and often far longer in captivity. There are 15 known subspecies across the islands.
Three are considered extinct, while the remaining populations are either vulnerable or critically endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Conservation efforts over recent decades have made a significant difference.
Since 1965, more than 10,000 juvenile tortoises have been bred in captivity and released into the wild, with several subspecies brought back from the brink of extinction.
Images: Instagram
