2023-12-13 08:04:41
Published13. December 2023, 09:04
Record age: giant tortoise Jonathan is still alive today!
Jonathan is the oldest land-dwelling animal in the world. The giant tortoise is celebrating its 191st birthday on the island of St. Helena.
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Jonathan lives with three other Seychelles giant tortoises in the garden of the governor’s residence in St. Helena. At the beginning of December, the world’s oldest turtle celebrates its 191st birthday.
Wikipedia/CC BY-SA
According to experts, Jonathan is at least 50 years old in this historic photo taken on the island of St. Helena between 1882 and 1886.
Screenshot Wikipedia
For the residents of St. Helena, Jonathan has become an icon.
imago images/Peter Baker
That’s what it’s regarding
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The world’s oldest land animal is celebrating its 191st birthday.
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Jonathan was officially declared the world’s oldest turtle last year.
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The animal has a loss of smell and is almost blind, but is otherwise perfectly healthy.
Jonathan, the Seychelles giant tortoise, is celebrating his 191st birthday, making him the oldest living land animal in the world. Jonathan has exceeded the average life expectancy of a turtle by over 40 years.
Despite problems such as loss of smell and near-blindness, Jonathan has no other health problems and eats fruit and vegetables. He was given an official birthday in 1932 and has lived to see eight British monarchs and 40 US presidents.
Fondness for Emma
As the Guinness Book of Records officially confirmed last year, Jonathan is the oldest living land animal and the oldest turtle in the world. For his 190th birthday, he was served a birthday cake made from his favorite foods: According to his carers, he particularly likes carrots, lettuce, cucumbers, apples and pears.
Despite his advanced age, Jonathan also has a fondness for a female turtle named Emma, who is only around 50 years old. “He still likes the ladies and I hear him grunting pretty regularly when he’s on the lawn with Emma,” then-Governor Lisa Phillips reported in 2017. “I have to keep an eye on him then – when I became governor it wasn’t in the job description.”
For the residents of St. Helena, Jonathan has become an icon. A 5-penny coin already bears his likeness, with the inscription “Jonathan the Giant Tortoise.” Part of the birthday celebrations in December will be the release of a Jonathan stamp. The tourism authority has planned three days of events for the festival. Visitors receive a souvenir official certificate with Jonathan’s footprint signed by the governor.
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