A giant Galapagos tortoise, the world's oldest known living creature, has died in Australia at the age of a hundred and seventy six. Harriet the tortoise passed away after a short illness. Experts believe the elderly creature, that weighed a hundred and fifty kilograms, was once the personal pet of the British naturalist, Charles Darwin.
Harriet died peacefully in her enclosure at a zoo in northern Australia where she was the star attraction. It's believed this enormous tortoise was captured in the Galapagos islands off the coast of Ecuador in the mid-1830s. There it was apparently studied by Charles Darwin while he was working on his theory of evolution. The naturalist took several young tortoises with him back to London. Many experts believe that Harriet was among them, although no-one's really quite sure.
It's possible that she ended up in Australia after being given to a naval officer who moved to Brisbane. Scientists have suggested, however, that Harriet may not have been one of Darwin's pets. DNA tests have shown that this giant creature belonged to a subspecies of tortoise found on an island that the British explorer never visited.
This famous reptile was the size of a dinner table when it died. For over a century, Harriet was mistaken as a male and was called Harry. Australian vets believe she suffered a heart attack that brought to an end an extraordinary life.
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