A pair of critically endangered, nearly 100-year-old Galapagos tortoises at the Philadelphia Zoo have become first-time parents.

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.

The Philadelphia Zoo is celebrating the birth of four critically endangered Galapagos tortoises, the first hatchlings born in the zoo’s century-and-a-half existence. The Western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoises hatched Thursday, according to a release, and there’s potential that even more eggs could hatch in the coming weeks.