Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
Lifestyle
Asharq Al-Awsat

Rare Albino Galapagos Giant Tortoise Faces the World

A baby Galapagos giant albino tortoise is photographed in the Tropiquarium in Servion, Switzerland, 02 June 2022. (EPA)

A rare albino Galapagos giant tortoise made its public debut at a Swiss zoo on Friday.

Two of the tortoises were born last month at the Tropiquarium in the western town of Servion as part of a program to preserve the endangered species.

One is black like its parents and the other is albino. Their gender has yet to be determined.

"This is the first time in the world that an albino Galapagos tortoise has been born and kept in captivity. No albino individuals have ever been observed in the wild," the zoo said in a statement.

The mother, who weighs more than 100 kilograms (220 lb), laid five eggs on Feb. 11 and the albino baby hatched on May 1. The other baby hatched on May 5 after the eggs spent two-and-a-half months in an incubator.

The male weighs around 180 kg. The pair are about 30 years old and have just reached sexual maturity.

The success rate of mating is only around 2%-3% for this species. Baby turtles weigh about 50 grams at birth and fit in the palm of the hand.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.