Mommy, a nearly 100-year-old Galapagos tortoises, and parent of four hatchlings is seen in her enclosure at the Philadelphia Zoo in Philadelphia, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

The zoo on Wednesday debuted its four female Western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoise hatchlings, moving them to their public habit for all to see for the first time. The occasion is something of a monumental one for the Philadelphia Zoo, which bred and hatched the baby tortoises in-house — a first in its 150-year history.

For the first time in over 150 years, the Philadelphia Zoo welcomed a clutch of Western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoises.