It’s a big deal when baby Galapagos tortoises hatch, but a Switzerland zoo is celebrating “a phenomenon that had never been seen in zoos or in the wild” — an albino tortoise.
The Tropiquarium Zoo in Servion, Switzerland, welcomed two Galapagos tortoises as part of its conservation program to preserve the endangered species.
“Incredible birth in the Tropiquarium! We had the surprise of a baby albino among our baby Galapagos giant tortoises,” the zoo said. “These are rare and exceptional births, especially for the albino baby. This is the first time in the world that an albino Galapagos tortoise has been born and kept in captivity.”
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The zoo noted that “albinism is rare in tortoises, with about one in 100,000 individuals compared to about one in 20,000 individuals in humans.”
The mother tortoise laid five eggs, but only two hatched. The zookeepers are not yet sure of the sex of the baby tortoises.
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The success rate of Galapagos tortoises’ mating is reportedly around 3%. Less than 25,000 of these turtles are estimated to be living in the wild.
