Free Republic

The Philadelphia Zoo officially has a few new residents, in the form of four Western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoise hatchlings that were bred and hatched at the zoo — a first in its 150-year history. “This is a significant milestone in the history of Philadelphia Zoo, and we couldn’t be more excited to share this news with our city, region, and the world,” zoo president and CEO Jo-Elle Mogerman said. “Philadelphia Zoo’s vision is that those hatchlings will be a part of a thriving population of Galapagos tortoises on our healthy planet 100 years from now.”

The 24 bright green baby parrots began chirping and bobbing their heads the second anyone neared the large cages that have been their homes since hatching in March. The Central American natives, seized from a smuggler at Miami International Airport, are being raised by the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation — a round-the-clock effort that includes five hand feedings a day in a room filled with large cages. At just 9 weeks old, these parrots have already survived a harrowing journey after being snatched from their nests in a forest. They are almost fully feathered now and the staff has started...