Zookeepers in Nova Scotia are eagerly watching a rare Egyptian tortoise hatch, a slow process that could take more than a day.

The baby tortoise stuck its head out of its shell Monday morning, said Mike Brobbel, curator of reptiles at the Oaklawn Farm Zoo in Aylesford.

These Egyptian tortoises hatched last week at an Aylesford, N.S., zoo.
(Environment Canada)

"It's been pretty exciting," he told CBC News. "It's been a long road."

Brobbel had been hoping for baby tortoises since uniting an adult pair, Anthony and Cleopatra, two years ago.

Oaklawn acquired Anthony after he was brought into the country without the proper paperwork in 2001.

Egyptian tortoises are listed as critically endangered, partly because of the loss of habitat in their native countries and partly because of the illegal pet trade.

Les Sampson, a game officer with Environment Canada, said according to some estimates, there are fewer than 7,000 of these tortoises left in the wild.

"The fact they're so small, they're popular in the pet trade," said Sampson, who can fit an adult Egyptian tortoise in the palm of his hand.

The zoo in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley decided it would try to breed the endangered species, so it sought a mate for Anthony.

Brobbel found Cleopatra in Pennsylvania and brought her to Oaklawn in 2004.

He said it took some time but he finally managed to set the proper mood — and humidity level.

Cleopatra laid two clutches of eggs this year, with the first baby tortoise hatching on July 18.

"It was quite an event," said Brobbel. "To my knowledge this is the first time it has happened in Canada."

The tortoise that started to hatch Monday is one of Cleopatra's second clutch. Two have already hatched.

Brobbel said the babies were about 7.5 grams at first —  about the size of a loonie — and have already put on a few grams.

The first baby tortoise is named Homer, but Brobbel doesn't have names picked out for the others. He said it's too early to tell if they're male or female.

Brobbel plans to find the tortoises homes in other breeding programs.

There's no rush. Brobbel said it will take 10 years before the newborns reach sexual maturity.