‘Majestic’ 125-year-old creature that staff loved to swim with has died, NC Zoo says
Maximus, a ginormous 125-year-old alligator snapping turtle that staff loved to swim with and who brought smiles to thousands of visitors, has died, N.C. Zoo officials said Friday.
“A true marvel of nature,” Keeper Audrey Williams said in announcing the death of 135-pound Max. “The gentle giant of the North Carolina Zoo.”
Max lived in the zoo’s Cypress Swamp since 2015 and was a favorite of staff and visitors, Williams said on social media.
Max didn’t have a name when he arrived, so Williams came up with one that would be “fitting for such a majestic creature,” she said.
The turtle was born around 1900, zoo officials estimated.
“Over the years, we shared countless quiet moments, and I had the privilege of getting to ‘swim’ with him as I cleaned his pool,” Williams said.
“Despite his size, we danced together in our slow, routine movements, each of us occupying our own space, a ritual I will never forget,” she said.
Max, “always a quiet observer,” loved swimming up to kids as they peered into his enclosure, she said.
“Maximus may no longer be with us, but his spirit will live on in our memories and in the hearts of everyone who had the pleasure of meeting him,” Williams said. “Rest in peace, Maximus. You will always be remembered.”
This story was originally published March 22, 2025 at 10:59 AM.