Age-defying Galapagos giant tortoise spawns EIGHT endangered baby reptiles by age 70

A 70-year-old giant tortoise in “peak physical condition” has spawned eight Galapagos giant tortoise hatchlings.

Dirk, named after Boogie Nights porn star Dirk Diggler, has mated with three females he shares a pen with at Crocodiles of the World in Oxfordshire.

In March it was revealed that two baby turtles had hatched from eggs laid by Charlie, a 21-year-old female.

That was the first time a British zoo had successfully bred a Galapagos giant tortoise. After that, Dirk mated with the female turtle Isabella, who she laid four eggs that hatched in July.

Charlie then laid two more eggs fertilized by Dirk, who is said to be in top physical condition, and these have recently hatched.

The arrival of the eight babies at Crocodiles of the World in Brize Norton is a huge boost for the conservation status of the Galapogos giant tortoise, which is an endangered species.

There are now about 15,000 people left in the world compared to 200,000 in the 19th century.

Shaun Foggett, founder and director of Crocodiles of the World, said: “The first two hatchlings were from Charlie in March, then we hatched four from Isabella in July, and we just had another two from Charlie’s eggs.”

‘There hasn’t been anything from Zuzu yet, but they only started laying eggs in the last 18 months.

We’re pretty sure they’re all female, but this is not confirmed yet.

“To monitor their growth and general well-being, the babies are kept separate from the adult turtles.

“It is a big problem that for a decade or more, only one collection of giant Galapagos tortoises in Europe was able to reproduce the species.

“It certainly shows that Dirk is potentially a very important tortoise within European zoos.

‘The biggest push right now is the fact that the knowledge we can gain and share from the incubation of the eggs to the rearing of the young.

‘This will provide more experience and knowledge about the whole breeding process of the species in a zoo.

“Mating times, reproduction, adult behavior, any diets and supplements that we have found useful or important will also be part of this body of knowledge that we are collecting on the reproduction of the species.

‘This is all vital information, and can be written down and incorporated with the existing knowledge and practices of the islands themselves.

‘Our current plan is to keep the babies here at the zoo for the foreseeable future so that we can continue to monitor the growth and condition of them as they grow.

“It is a unique opportunity to learn and contribute to the future of the species.

Dirk doesn’t seem to need a break and continues to live with the females.

The eight baby turtles may be small now, but they will grow to 30 stones each when they are adults.

Galapagos giant tortoises are famous for their long necks and are synonymous with Charles Darwin, who discovered the theory of evolution by studying them.

The great British naturalist realized that the huge creatures adapted their physical form to their surroundings and that their outstretched necks were meant to reach the tall Galapagos vegetation.

Crocodiles of the World also supports the Galapagos Conservation Trust, which conducts research to help shape future conservation strategies for the species and protect its future on the Galapagos Islands.

Dirk originally came to Britain after being captured in the wild in the Galapagos Islands in 1962.

The Galapagos giant tortoises -Chelonoidis niger in Latin- are the largest species of tortoise in the world; they can grow up to 6 feet in length and 900 pounds in weight and mate throughout the year.