Two elderly turtles in Austria have broken ties and are living a single life, despite all the zoo’s attempts to heal.
The tortoises Bibi and Poldi were born together around 1897. They met soon after and became a couple, which means they have been together longer than humans. Previously, they lived in the same barn at the zoo in Basel, Switzerland, then spent four decades together at the Happ reptile zoo in Klagenfurt, Austria. Giant tortoises are among the oldest animals, typically over 100 years old, according to the Mother Nature Network.
But after more than a century of peaceful coexistence, the relationship between the two turtles deteriorated in 2012, according to the Austrian Times. Not only do they move away due to their age, but they also engage in violent behavior. Zoo staff first learned of the turtles’ dissonance when Bibi attacked her partner by biting a piece of Poldi’s shell. After several more attacks, zoo staff were forced to separate them and take Poldi to another barn. Giant tortoises do not have teeth, but they have very strong and sharp jaws.
“They’ve been together since childhood and grew up side by side, eventually becoming a couple. But for some reason they seem to have a contradiction. They just can’t stand each other anymore,” Helga Happ, Zoo Management, shares.
In 2019, Bibi is still not interested in returning to Poldi. The two turtles enjoy life in a close, private barn. The zoo built two houses for them, creating two outdoor gymnasiums and two baths.
Zoo staff also installed windows between the two houses so the turtles could see each other from afar, but they showed no compromise. “Bibi hissed like a snake. He didn’t want to live with Poldi. We hope they can find harmony again,” Happ said.
