Jonathan happens to be the longest living land animal on the planet, at least that’s according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Believed to have been born all the way back in 1832, reports claim that he is now 190 years old.
He was brought from the Seychelles to the rather remote South Atlantic island of St. Helena when he was supposedly a mature tortoise at 50 years old. He was given as a gift to Sir William Grey-Wilson in 1882. But because his age was just an estimation, no one truly knows his real age, but people at Guinness still believe that he has been alive for over two centuries at least.
That means that Jonathan has been around for most of the world wars and innovations, including World War I and II, as well as the invention of trains, planes , and automobiles. He’s even been around for the end of slavery, while predating such amazing inventions such as the photograph, the telephone, the light bulb, and even the Eiffel tower.
Considered to be a part of an otherwise endangered species, it’s also one that’s well-known for their longevity. Another Aldabara giant tortoise – who was named Adwaita – was also presented to the British East India Company. People there believed the Adwaita was 255 years old when he died at the Calcutta zoological garden he was in.
But when it comes to Jonathan, the old man – if we are so privileged to call him that – is still eating and mating, although he definitely needs a little help from his friends, aka his caretakers.
In a statement released by the Plantation House, which is the governor’s residence, “The Veterinary Section is still feeding him by hand once a week to boost his calories, vitamins, minerals and trace elements, as he is blind and has no sense of smell.”
They add, “His hearing, though, is excellent and he loves the company of humans, and responds well to his vet Joe Hollins’ voice, as he associates him with a feast.”
While Jonathan has basically been doing the same activities over the past two decades almost, the rest of the world has continued to fly by it seems. Aside from there being 31 governors to have been elected president over the Plantation House through his life, there have also been at least 39 U.S. presidents that have sat in the oval office as well.
As veterinarian Joe Hollins explains, “While wars, famines, plagues, kings and queens and even nations have come and gone, he has pottered on, totally oblivious to the passage of time. Jonathan is symbolic of persistence, endurance, and survival and has achieved iconic status on the island.”
As for Jonathan’s hometown in Seychelles islands, Nature Protection Trust of Seychelles, which is the conservation program, has managed to make a whole new generation of this once very endangered species of native giant turtles. So far, the program has managed to produce 160 juveniles, which they have also released into the wild.
See more about Jonathan in the YouTube video below.
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