Overview
- San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance said Gramma was humanely euthanized on Nov. 20 after progressive, age-related bone disease.
- Officials estimated her age at about 141, making her the zoo’s oldest resident and a long-standing public favorite.
- Gramma arrived between 1928 and 1931 as part of the zoo’s first Galápagos tortoise cohort and was affectionately called the “Queen of the Zoo.”
- The zoo shared video tributes and invited supporters to honor her with a fruit-filled salad, reflecting her fondness for romaine and cactus fruit.
- Coverage placed her life in species context, noting Galápagos tortoises’ extreme longevity, conservation status, and recent U.S. breeding successes reported in 2025.