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Darwin's tortoise turns 167 years young
November 14, 1997
Meet Harriet
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Web posted at: 11:07 p.m. EST (0407 GMT)GOLD COAST, Australia (CNN) -- Harriet, a giant tortoise believed by some experts to be the oldest living creature on Earth, celebrated her 167th birthday Friday at an Australian zoo.
Harriet was given a serenade of "Happy Birthday" from local schoolchildren, and zookeepers brought her colorful flowers and a cake to celebrate her big day. She promptly ate the flowers.
Genetic testing on Harriet showed that she was probably born in 1830. Local lore has it that at the age of five, she was taken from the Galapagos Islands to London by none other than famed naturalist Charles Darwin.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Related stories:
- Tortoise, goat compete for survival on Galapagos Islands - July 17, 1997
- Researchers voice hope for desert tortoise - April 23, 1997
Related sites:
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- Slowcoach Tortoise Page
- National Turtle and Tortoise Society
- Sites for turtles, tortoises and terrapins
- Welcome to Australia's Sunshine Coast
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