190 Years Old, Jonathan the Tortoise is World's Oldest Land Animal: Through the US Civil War to the Fall of the Soviet Union

Turtle Jonathan. (Twitter/@sthelenatourism)

JAKARTA - The oldest land animal in the world, the Seychelles giant tortoise named Jonathan, has just celebrated its 190th birthday.

Jonathan is thought to have been born in 1832, predating the invention of postage, telephone and photographic stamps. Although there are no real records of his birth, Jonathan is thought to have been born around 1832.

But, Jonathan could actually be 200 years old, according to Matt Joshua, head of tourism at St. Louis. Helena, as reported by CNN, December 3.

According to Guinness World Records, Jonathan is also the oldest Chelonian, a category that includes all tortoises, terrapins and tortoises.

The oldest Chelonian previously was the Tu'i Malila, a radiated tortoise who lived for at least 188 years. Presented to the Tongan royal family by British explorer Captain James Cook around 1777, Tu'i Malila died in 1965.

Jonathan was brought to St Helena from the Seychelles in 1882 as a gift for Sir William Grey-Wilson, who later became governor.

His age is an estimate, based on the fact that he was fully grown (and therefore at least 50 years old) when he arrived on the island in 1882.

Jonathan the tortoise. (Twitter/@sthelenatourism)

"People often ask us Jonathan's birthday. The answer is we don't know," wrote the Saint Helena Island website, citing Euronews.

The iconic creature lived through the US Civil War, much of Queen Victoria's reign, the rise and fall of the Soviet Union, and two world wars.

Life as the world's oldest tortoise Dd St. Helena, Jonathan is a celebrity. The old animal lives with three other giant tortoises, David, Emma and Fred.

Old age has made Jonathan blind and has no sense of smell, his hearing is very good. But according to the Guinness World Records, he responds well to the voice of his vet.

Although some of its senses are now weakened, Jonathan's veterinarian, Joe Hollins, told Guinness World Records the animal still has a lot of energy.

"On warm days, he'll sunbathe — his long neck and legs stretch completely out of his shell to absorb heat and transfer it to his core," says Hollins.

In colder weather, it prefers to "dig itself into leaf mold or grass clippings and stay there all day".

Jonathan is a national treasure, featured on the reverse of the fivepence St Helena coin. He spent most of his life in the Governor's house of St. Helena, an island located in the South Atlantic.

Jonathan being presented with his 190th birthday cake at Plantation House today. Delivered to him by the wonderful staff of Plantation that care for him for a day-to-day.#Jonathan #birthday #sthelenaisland pic.twitter.com/DxnOPYroNT

— St Helena Tourism (@sthelenatourism) December 4, 2022