A 125-year-old Galapagos Giant Tortoise, male, aged approximately 125 years passed away at the Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad on March 16. The creature succumbed to complications associated with old age in the early hours of March 16 after being off food for the past 10 days.
The veterinary team at the zoo, led by Dr. M. A. Hakeem, Deputy Director (Veterinary) had been treating the tortoise during the 10-day period. This tortoise was one of the oldest inhabitants of the zoo, alongside a fellow inhabitant who is 95 years old, who had been captivating visitors since the zoo’s inauguration about 60 years ago.
Originally relocated from Public Gardens (Bagh-E-Aam) in 1963, the tortoise had been a cherished resident of the zoo. Following the tortoise’s passing, a postmortem examination was conducted by a team of experts. The preliminary report indicated that the tortoise passed away due to multiple organ failure. Samples have been sent to Veterinary Biological and Research Institute (VBRI) and Veterinary College, Rajendranagar, for further investigation.
