The first of the four hatchlings, all female, began to emerge from its white, hard-shelled egg on Feb. 27, the zoo said. The four hatchlings are part of a clutch of 16 eggs Mommy laid back in November 2024, and the zoo's animal care team is continuing to monitor additional eggs that may hatch in upcoming weeks.

Mommy, a Western Santa Cruz tortoise, recently welcomed four hatchlings at the Philadelphia Zoo, where she has lived since 1932.

The Philadelphia Zoo is celebrating after a 100-year-old endangered Galapagos tortoise welcomed four baby hatchlings with her partner, the first successful hatching of this species at the zoo.