01/03/2026
At around 141 years old, Gramma — the oldest resident of the San Diego Zoo — has died.
The beloved Galápagos giant tortoise passed away following age-related health complications, marking the end of a life that spanned centuries. Born in the late 1800s, Gramma was already an adult before the modern world as we know it existed and had lived at the zoo for nearly a century.
Zoo staff described her as calm, gentle, and deeply cherished, not only by keepers but by generations of visitors who grew up seeing her. Gramma became a living symbol of longevity, resilience, and the importance of protecting slow-growing, vulnerable species.
Her death has been felt around the world — a quiet reminder of how rare such lives are, and how much history can exist within a single animal. 🐢💚
