Nature

Lonely Male Galapagos Tortoise In Australia Gets A Girlfriend From Germany

A girlfriend for a lonely male Galapagos tortoise in Australia has finally arrived from Germany.

Hugo the tortoise has been kept at the Australian Reptile Park in the locality of Somersby in the state of New South Wales since 2019.

A female had been sought for the endangered species to breed, with Estrella from Rostock Zoo in Germany chosen as a potential mate for the lonely male tortoise.

Estrella the Galapagos tortoise, from Zoo Rostock in Germany joining the Australian Reptile Park. (Australian Reptile Park/Newsflash)

The zoo was scheduled to send Estella to her new home early last year. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the date being delayed.

Arrangements were made to finally send Estella down under over a year later, and she arrived in Sydney on the night of 23rd June.

According to staff at the Australian Reptile Park, the new arrival is settling in well, and they cannot wait for Hugo to finally meet his new fraeulein.

Estrella the Galapagos tortoise, from Zoo Rostock in Germany joining the Australian Reptile Park. (Australian Reptile Park/Newsflash)

However, they will have to be patient, as a mandatory three-month quarantine period means the pair will only be able to hit it off in mid-September.

Hugo is currently 70 years old, meaning he is middle-aged in Galapagos tortoise years.

The 181.6-kilogramme (28.6-st) specimen is one of the zoo’s most popular animals with visitors from nearby Sydney.

Estrella the Galapagos tortoise, from Zoo Rostock in Germany joining the Australian Reptile Park. (Australian Reptile Park/Newsflash)

The zoo’s head of reptiles Daniel Rumsey said: “I couldn’t be more excited for Hugo! Estrella Is beautiful.

“We have always wanted to get Hugo a girlfriend to replace the ‘special’ rock he has in his enclosure.”

Galapagos tortoises are the largest living species of tortoise, weighing up to 417 kilogrammes (65.7 st).

Estrella the Galapagos tortoise, from Zoo Rostock in Germany joining the Australian Reptile Park. (Australian Reptile Park/Newsflash)

They can live up to 177 years, making them one of the longest-living vertebrates.

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