ASHEBORO, N.C. -- A special tortoise with ties to the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro has died in Florida, NC Zoo officials said Wednesday.
Tort, a 60-year-old Galapagos tortoise, died on November 18 at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm and Zoological Park in Florida. Tort, along with partner Retort, gave the NC Zoo its first look at the exotic creatures of the world 40 years ago.
Tort recently became a father to four to five hatchlings that the NC Zoo hopes to host when its Amazon habitat opens in the future.
Considered a "vulnerable" species, Galapagos tortoise numbers started declining in the 16th century. Thanks to conservation and breeding efforts for tortoises in human care, more than 19,000 tortoises currently live and thrive on their ancestral land.
The NC Zoo is the world's largest conservation park and a global leader in preserving wildlife and wild spaces.
