Two giant Galapagos tortoises have been successfully bred in a British zoo for the first time.
The newborns were fathered by 70-year-old Dirk, described as being in “peak physical condition”, who mated with 21-year-old Charlie last November at Crocodiles of the World in Brize Norton, Oxfordshire.
Despite currently being the size of tennis balls, the youngsters will grow to weigh around 30 stone (190kg) as adults.
Giant Galapagos tortoises – famous for their long necks – have a lifespan of more than 100 years and are synonymous with Charles Darwin, who pioneered the theory of evolution by studying them.
The British naturalist realised the creatures adapted their physical shape to their surroundings and their extended necks were meant for reaching high-up vegetation on the Galapagos Islands.
Crocodiles of the World has four adults: three females called Zuzu, Isabella and Charlie, and Dirk, who is named after lothario Dirk Diggler from the 1990s movie Boogie Nights. They are part of a European conservation programme.
Giant Galapagos tortoises are listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List. There are only around 15,000 of them in the world, compared with 200,000 in the 19th century.
Shaun Foggett, founder of Crocodiles of the World, said: “We’re incredibly proud to have successfully bred these tortoises, who have previously been very close to extinction.
“They are still facing an uncertain future, primarily due to historic over-exploitation and egg predation from invasive species.”
And he added: “We have all been hoping for this day since the giant tortoises joined us in 2018 and it's a significant achievement towards helping the conservation of the species.”
Keepers at Crocodiles of the World are closely monitoring the progress of the new arrivals, feeding them a diet of dried grasses, leafy greens, pear cactus and weeds.
Dirk first arrived in the UK from the Galapagos wilderness in 1962.
While the four reptiles kept at Crocodiles of the World regularly mate – or are “at it all the time”, as described by staff – it is very difficult for females to lay fertile eggs.
When Charlie laid the two eggs, staff stepped in immediately and placed them in an incubator for almost two months. They both hatched earlier this month.
“We aren’t sure exactly when the successful mating took place as Dirk tries it on so often, but the babies hatched 113 and 118 days after the eggs were laid,” a spokesperson for Crocodiles of the World said.
“We believe the babies will likely be female due to the incubation temperatures, but we can’t be sure at the moment.”
Giant Galapagos tortoises mate all year round and males such as Dirk are known to make loud grunting noises in the process.
