70-year-old Male Turtle Finally Found a Girlfriend

The Galapagos tortoise Hugo has lived in the Australian Reptile Park in New South Wales since 1963. This year the male turned 70 years old. Back in 2019, they started looking for a mate for him, as the mating season approached and it was high time for Hugo to continue his breeding. In the end, the staff found the perfect candidate – a 21-year-old turtle named Estrella from Germany.
Daniel Rumsey, Head of Reptiles at the Australian Reptile Park, said: “He’s been looking for a mate for some time now so we can’t wait to see him have a companion. I can’t wait to meet her myself and get to know her personality. If all goes well, within the next few years we might have some baby Galapagos tortoises.”
The pair was supposed to get together in 2019, but the start of the pandemic caused plans to fall through. The team was upset because this Galapagos tortoise could have been the first to arrive in Australia in 40 years, and she and Hugo could have had babies. Only recently there was good news: soon the female would be delivered to Australia!
Despite the considerable difference in age between the two turtles, the staff is confident that they will have no problem becoming a couple. By the way, Hugo has lived in the park since 1963 and weighs 181 kg. Galapagos tortoises are among the longest-living vertebrates – their lifespan is at least 170 years.