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IcerocketGone to a Greater Galápagos
Posted 06.23.2006 at 2:30 pm
8 Comments
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| Harriet, photgraphed with her loving crocodile-hunting overseer on the occasion of her 175th birthday |
To all our Australian-turtle-loving evolutionary-biologist readers, I would like to express condolences on behalf of all of us here at PopSci on this grim day: Harriet, the giant Galápagos tortoise supposedly captured by Charles Darwin’s famous expedition that you have grown to love like your own son or daughter, died today at home in the Australia Zoo at the spry (estimated) age of 176, ending her reign as the Earth’s oldest known living animal.
It’s been a wild ride, Harriet. You were plucked from your luscious home in the Galápagos Islands to be studied by one of the greatest minds of modern science (well, maybe—Harriet belonged to a species indigenous to an island Mr. Darwin never personally visited. Mercifully, Harriet died still believing she was Charles’s best girl). You’ve seen world wars come and go like mere hiccups of time. You recovered nicely from the psychological trauma of being mistaken for a male tortoise (Harry) for more than half your life. Your biggest daily concerns included which type of exotic and delicious flowers to dine on. And in your golden years you were owned by Steve Irwin, TV’s “crocodile hunter,” whose despair we can’t even begin to fathom.
Unsurprisingly, her keepers attribute her advanced age to a “stress-free life.” It’s indeed been a good one, Harriet, and we’ll miss you. But hopefully, somewhere in that great archipelago in the sky, Mr. Darwin can’t wait to take precise measurements of your dinner-table-size shell. —John Mahoney
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Comments
Do you supposed Steve the Crocodile Hunter ever dangerously dangled his infant daugter in front of good ol' Harriet?
0 out of 0 people found this comment helpfulvery sad that the great crochunter is gone terry bindy and little bob and wes i wish a lot of love and strenght to carrie on
and remember croc rules!!!!!!`
rinus
0 out of 0 people found this comment helpfulvery sad that the great crochunter is gone terry bindy and little bob and wes i wish a lot of love and strenght to carrie on
and remember croc rules!!!!!!`
rinus
0 out of 0 people found this comment helpfulMay God be with you Terry, bindy and Bobby. my heart goes out to you. You're family will always be in my prayers
0 out of 0 people found this comment helpfulI would like to send my deepest condolences to the Irwin family and also everyone else whom is feeling pain by this tragic event.Steve,you will be missed,but you were put on this earth to teach us all and you acheived that and so much more.I would like to say thank you for all the wonderful things you have done for this world.Terri,Bindi Sue,and Bob I wish you all the best and hopefully you are all able to heal and continue the wonderful work to carry on Steves legacy.It has been a privilge to watch and learn from such a wonderful,compassionate person and myself and my family will be forever touched my his work.Rest in peace Steve,you are amazing!
0 out of 0 people found this comment helpfulCroc's Rule,and so does Steve Irwin
if tears could build a stair way and memories a lane i would walk straight up to heavan and bring you back again, god only takes the best my heart goes out to steves family and friends
0 out of 0 people found this comment helpfulu will be missed Steve.My condolescence with irwin family.May Steve live in peace and you r the greatest....
0 out of 0 people found this comment helpfulMy sister pointed out that never in our lifetimes has someone passed away and so many people were so shocked and affected by it that they had to exclaim it to everyone they talked to in the next few days or weeks...this is such a tragedy that one of the greatest among us should have died.
0 out of 0 people found this comment helpful