The Philadelphia Zoo is home to a 95-year-old bachelorette.
Affectionately named, “Mommy,” the Galapagos Turtle has been living in Philadelphia since 1932.
However, she is underrepresented in the gene pool of her species’ living members.
That’s why the Zoo has invited a 98-year-old counterpart to breed with Mommy.
“Nothing really comes out of the wild from the Galapagos anymore,” said Sean Martin, a zookeeper that works with the turtles.
“That’s why the SSP program is so important.
Because you don’t want them to disappear forever,” he said.
In partnership with the Species Survival Plan, the zoo expects a healthy clutch of baby turtles to come from the couple.
“It’s sort of like Match.com, or breeding fo...