OLDEST SAN DIEGO ZOO RESIDENT, GRAMMA THE GALAPAGOS TORTOISE DIES AGE 141

At around 141 years old, Gramma, the oldest Galapagos tortoise in the San Diego Zoo, passed away. Her caretakers were unsure of her precise age because she was born in her natural habitat on the Galapagos Islands. However, they were aware that she delighted tourists for nearly a century and acted as a symbol for conservation efforts pertaining to this threatened species.

Her bone issues, which developed as a result of her elderly age, had been monitored for some time by the team responsible for her care. Unfortunately, when the problems got worse, the team had to make the painful but compassionate choice to end the suffering she was undoubtedly going through. Gramma's tenure in the San Diego Zoo spans almost the whole institution's history, having arrived between 1928 and 1931. The zoo posted a touching tribute on Instagram, saying, "It is astounding to realise what Gramma lived through in her lifetime."

She went from appearing in a few black-and-white photos to becoming an enduring social media icon thanks to decades of technical improvement. She was referred to as "the Queen of the Zoo" by her carers, and they were right.