Tortoise who waited 135 years to become a dad finally welcomes his first baby just in time for Father’s Day

A tortoise who waited 135 years to become a dad has finally welcomed his first baby – just in time for Father’s Day.

Goliath, a Galapagos tortoise weighing a whopping 517lbs, has made history at Zoo Miami by becoming a first-time father.

The gentle giant had never managed to produce offspring in his long life despite trying with a number of lady tortoises over the years.

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Keepers had all but given up hope – until now.

After a lifetime of trying, Goliath has finally become a dad. One of eight eggs laid back in January by his long-time partner Sweet Pea has just hatched after 128 days of incubation – and zookeepers are calling it a Father’s Day miracle.

To top it off, the hatchling also made history as the first Galapagos tortoise ever born at the Florida zoo, making the occasion a double celebration.

An application has already been submitted to Guinness World Records to officially recognise Goliath as the oldest first-time father in history.

And with Sweet Pea thought to be between 85 and 100 years old, the pair may also claim the title of oldest first-time parents ever.

Goliath is believed to have hatched on the island of Santa Cruz in the Galapagos around 1890.

He was brought to the Bronx Zoo in 1929 before making his way to Zoo Miami in 1981, where he’s lived ever since.

Sweet Pea arrived in Florida as an adult in the 1960s, and like Goliath, has been a long-time resident of the zoo’s tortoise habitat.

Despite their parental milestone, neither tortoise has met their hatchling – and they never will.

In the wild, tortoises don’t care for their young, who are left to fend for themselves from day one.

The tiny newcomer, however, is in good hands. Zookeepers say it’s healthy, full of energy and settling well into its own special enclosure behind the scenes – totally unaware that it’s just become part of reptile history.

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