--- --- # This Elderly Tortoise Is Having the Best Halloween Ever ## Video: 5 Elements of A Viral Video [Watch (HLS stream): 5 Elements of A Viral Video](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/vgQtqA8c.m3u8) (1:31)  _Published 2015-06-22. 5 Elements of A Viral Video_ by [Melissa Locker](https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/) ## Melissa Locker Oct 29, 2015 8:32 PM UTC by [Melissa Locker](https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/) ## Melissa Locker Oct 29, 2015 8:32 PM UTC The [San Diego Zoo](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC5NfQ6Mf0dq%5FeEwv4P%5FhWA) threw a Halloween shindig for the Galapagos tortoises that make their home at the zoo and it was a pumpkin-eating bonanza. The tortoises are the oldest residents of the zoo, with the group’s elder stateswoman, Grandma, clocking in at approximately 130 years old. That didn’t stop the tortoises from chowing down on the autumnal treats and showing the young’uns how it’s done. Pumpkin-eating parties aren’t the only way that the San Diego Zoo supports the health of tortoises. The zoo partners with the Charles Darwin Research Station on the Galápagos Islands to help with breeding and keeps tortoise hatchlings safe and healthy until they are old enough to survive on their own, [according to the Zoo’s video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8kPVued82g). Tortoise Pumpkin Eating Halloween Party: Video ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4092661/tortoise-halloween-pumpkin-party/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4092661/tortoise-halloween-pumpkin-party/"},"headline":"This Elderly Tortoise Is Having the Best Halloween Ever","datePublished":"2015-10-29T20:32:59.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:48:00.033Z","description":"It's a pumpkin party","url":"https://time.com/4092661/tortoise-halloween-pumpkin-party/","keywords":["Newsfeed","animals","halloween"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Melissa Locker","jobTitle":"","url":"https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4092661/tortoise-halloween-pumpkin-party/","name":"This Elderly Tortoise Is Having the Best Halloween Ever"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"5 Elements of A Viral Video","description":"5 Elements of A Viral Video","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/vgQtqA8c/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-06-22T13:42:30.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/vgQtqA8c.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4092661/tortoise-halloween-pumpkin-party/","duration":"PT1M31S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4092661/tortoise-halloween-pumpkin-party/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```