Zoo mourns giant tortoise that lived more than 140 years
Gramma, the beloved Galapagos tortoise who lived at the San Diego Zoo for nearly a century, died Thursday. She was about 141.
The zoo’s care team “made the compassionate and exceptionally difficult decision to say goodbye” to Gramma, who was suffering from bone conditions related to her advanced age, the institution said in a social media post announcing her passing.
Though her exact birth date is unknown because she was born in her native habitat, experts estimate Gramma may have been about 141 years old, making her older than any other zoo residents and indeed the zoo itself. Gramma arrived in San Diego between 1928 and 1931 as part of the first group of Galapagos tortoises to come to the institution, the zoo said.
The zoo remembered Gramma, affectionately dubbed “the Queen of the Zoo,” as “a witness to history, a beloved icon, and an extraordinary ambassador for her species.”
“It is astonishing to consider what Gramma lived through in her lifetime. While enjoying sunshine, endless herbivorous snacks, and puddles in her habitats throughout Reptile Mesa, this sweet, shy tortoise observed the Zoo’s creation and evolution,” the zoo said. “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.”
Galapagos tortoises are among the zoos oldest – and slowest – residents. The massive animals, which can weigh up to 500 pounds, amble along at roughly 0.16 miles per hour.
Some are believed to be even older than Gramma, including Speed, who lived to be an estimated 150 years old, according to the zoo. Two critically endangered Western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoises, estimated to each be about 100 years old, became first time parents earlier in 2025 at the Philadelphia Zoo.
Zoo staff invited mourners to enjoy a fruit salad in honor of Gramma, who particularly loved romaine lettuce and cactus fruit.