San Diego Zoo staff and animal lovers are reeling this week following the death of beloved Gramma the Galápagos tortoise, by far the zoo's oldest resident, in what has been a year marked by tragic loss.

Gramma was described as "a quiet and constant presence at the zoo, a witness to history, a beloved icon, and an extraordinary ambassador for her species," according to a statement from the institution on its social media pages.

The tortoise arrived from the Bronx Zoo between 1928-1931 as part of the first group of Galápagos tortoises to come to San Diego and was reportedly welcomed by San Diego Zoo founder Dr. Harry Wegeforth.

The zoo began as a way to keep alive exotic animals abandoned after the 1915 Panama-California Exposition. It moved into a part of Balboa Park reserved for the pur

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