Philadelphia Zoo welcomes 9 more critically endangered Galápagos tortoises born to first

The Philadelphia Zoo celebrated a slow and steady success in conservation: the hatching of nine new critically endangered Western Santa Cruz Galápagos tortoises .

The new arrivals were revealed Wednesday outside the zoo's Reptile & Amphibian House, marking a historic moment for the zoo and for the species.

The nine new babies join seven siblings born last year, all to the zoo's beloved tortoise pair, Mommy and Abrazzo, who are estimated to be 97 and 96 years old, respectively . That brings their total clutch to 16 hatchlings — a significant boost for a species teetering on the edge of extinction.

"Even as a kid, I was into the giant tortoises," said visitor Dirk Kinsey. "It's super fun to see them up close."

Lauren Augustine, the zoo's director of herpetology, said these h