San Diego Zoo's 150-Year-Old Galapagos Tortoise Dies

NBC San Diego ^ | 6/22 | Samantha Tatro

[central_va]

Turtle Soup

Ingredients

1-1/3 pounds turtle meat
4-1/2 cups water
2 medium onions
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
5 tablespoons butter, cubed
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons tomato puree
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup chicken broth
2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice
Chopped fresh parsley, optional

Directions

In a heavy 4-qt. saucepan, bring turtle meat and water to a boil. Skim off foam. Chop 1 onion and set aside. Quarter the other onion; add to saucepan along with bay leaf, cayenne pepper and salt. Cover and simmer for 2 hours or until the meat is tender. Remove meat with a slotted spoon and cut into 1/2-in. cubes; set aside. Strain broth and set aside. Rinse and dry saucepan; melt butter over medium-high heat. Cook chopped onion until tender. Add flour; cook and stir until bubbly and lightly browned. Whisk in reserved broth; cook and stir until thickened. Reduce heat; stir in tomato puree and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer,
uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add chicken broth, eggs, lemon juice and meat. Simmer for 5 minutes or until heated through. Garnish with parsley if desired. Yield: 4-6 servings.

[W.]

I sat on that big guy back in ‘59 at the SD Zoo. Damn...

[DoodleDawg]

If it didn't die would the media call for it to be put down because it was a hatchling at the time of the Civil War?

That would depend on whether he supported the Union or the Confederacy.

[boycott]

*SNICKERING*
I Guess the strain was too much..wish “Bitch” McConnell
soon would join him. He’s my very corrupt Senator.

---

I can think of others in Washington I wish could join them.

[Sacajaweau]

I have the desire to draw the Confederate flag on his back.

[Leep]

He smoked 2 pack of unfiltered Camel cigarettes and a fifth of Whiskey a day.

[PAR35]

Interesting that the American spin is that it ‘died’, while some foreign sources indicate that it was put down by the zoo.

Someone isn’t giving us the straight story.

[PAR35]

Here we go for the foreign treatment:

Galapagos Island tortoise Speed put down by zookeepers at 150

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/galapagos-island-tortoise-speed-put-down-by-zookeepers-at-150-10336346.html

[llmc1]

Yes, I remember him from the Children’s Zoo, too.
It was always good to see him. : (

[Cincinnatus.45-70]

I remember seeing tortoises in the San Diego Zoo in 1951. No doubt Speed was one of them.

[Responsibility2nd]

Is that true of all creatures in a zoo? Or just a tortoise?

[exit82]

His last words were:

“Oh, Forrest, it’s just my time.”

[Sacajaweau]

I’ve been saying for years....Zoos should be done away with. Breeding means big bucks....real big bucks. Do it in their native surroundings.

[Sacajaweau]

http://money.cnn.com/2013/10/14/news/economy/china-panda-trade/index.html

[T-Bone Texan]

Fascinating story.

Question: Jonathan’s species is given as “Testudinipae cytodira”, but it looks like that encompasses most turtles and tortoises.

Is a Seychelles turtle the same as a Galapagos Turtle?

[T-Bone Texan]

Zoos are immoral.

It’s the place you take your kids to see sad animals.

My wife roped me into getting a Zoo Pass, and every time we go the injustice is more galling to me.

[Responsibility2nd]

If it weren’t for zoos, there would NOT be any Galapagos Tortoises or hundreds of other endangered species.

Zoo have served to protect these animals as they have educated and informed millions of the dangers they face.

[minnesota_bound]

Shelby: Turtle Whisperer
http://www.history.com/shows/ax-men/videos/shelby-turtle-whisperer

[DungeonMaster]

The unfairness of turtles outliving people is one of the sorrows about life that was on my mind when I got saved.

[Skooz]

I agree, in principle. But ...

"Speed helped create more than 90 tortoises as a part of a breeding group."

Looking at it from Speed's POV, he had a pretty good life.