Goliath the Galapagos Tortoise Marks 135th Birthday and First Father’s Day at Miami Zoo

MIAMI — A South Florida zoo’s oldest resident celebrated his 135th birthday and his first Father’s Day on Sunday.

Goliath, a 517-pound (234-kilogram) Galapagos tortoise at Zoo Miami, became a father for the first time earlier this month, zoo officials said.

“Goliath is my hero, and I believe he will soon serve as an inspiration to many!” Zoo Miami spokesman Ron Magill mentioned in a statement. “He exemplifies that where there’s determination, there is a way, and one should never surrender!”

From a clutch of eight eggs laid on January 27, one successfully hatched on June 4, as confirmed by officials. Not only is this the first offspring for Goliath, but it’s also the inaugural instance of a hatchling from this endangered species at Zoo Miami. Historically, the species’ numbers tumbled before the 20th century due to human activities and the introduction of non-native species to the Galapagos Islands. Present-day threats include climate change and loss of habitat.

Goliath’s official documentation states he hatched on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos around June 15, between the years 1885 and 1890. This cluster of islands is positioned near the equator in the Pacific Ocean, several hundred miles west of Ecuador’s mainland.

Goliath arrived at the Bronx Zoo in 1929 and moved to Zoo Miami in 1981. He has bred with several different females during his time at Zoo Miami, but he has never sired an offspring. The new hatchling’s mother, Sweet Pea, is estimated to be between 85 and 100 years old.

Both parents are doing well in their public habitat, officials said. The hatchling appears to be healthy in a separate enclosure. Wild hatchlings are not raised by their parents.