Fatherhood brings Oupa out of his shell

Baby leopard tortoise Opunye says hello to Dad, 46-year-old Oupa, at Auckland Zoo this week. Picture / Paul Estcourt

Leopard tortoise Oupa took 46 years to become a dad, but time is on his side.

His species has an average life expectancy of 100 years, so he could afford to spend 2 1/2 of them checking out his two female companions at Auckland Zoo before committing himself.

The birth of his offspring Opunye, the result of his mating with 10-year-old Kopjie, brings the number of leopard tortoises at the zoo to four.

Opunye was a healthy 24g but has a long way to go to reach the average adult weight of 10kg to 15kg. They usually grow to 40-50cm in length.

Kopjie and another female leopard tortoise, Ufutu, were confiscated by biosecurity authorities at Wellington Airport more than eight years ago.

Oupa was gifted to the zoo by 87-year-old Eleanor Hannah, who was given him in 1958 in Zambia.

Two years ago, the Auckland woman decided to find Oupa a new home because he was likely to live another 40 to 50 years.

"I always hoped I would live long enough to see his babies," she said after a visit to the zoo this week yesterday.

The baby would not be on display for some time, said zoo spokeswoman Jane Healy. Because of its small size, it would not be left in the tortoise enclosure in case one of the adults accidentally hurt it.

Leopard tortoises are on an international endangered species.