176-year-old turtle once owned by Darwin dies of MI and CHF

The late Harriet was a 176-year-old tortoise, believed by some to have been owned by Charles Darwin. She died peacefully in a Queensland zoo owned by Steve Irwin, the Crocodile hunter.

According to the zoo veterinarian quoted by CNN:

"Harriet sadly died last night after, thankfully, a very short illness. She'd been sick yesterday with, in effect, heart failure. She had a very fairly acute heart attack and thankfully passed away quietly overnight."

People have heart attack at age 76 (and often much earlier), for Galapagos turtles the risk age seems to be 176...

Read the whole story: 'Darwin's tortoise' dies, age 176. CNN.
Image source: Wikipedia

Related:
Darwin, Britain's Hero, Is Still Controversial In U.S. NPR, 02/2009.

Updated: 02/08/2009