It’s not every day that you celebrate someone’s 190th birthday – we’re pretty sure it’s never happened before.
That is, until last weekend when Jonathan – the oldest tortoise in recorded history and the world’s oldest living land mammal – celebrated the big 190 with a big celebration.
The South Atlantic island of Saint Helena, where Jonathan has lived since 1882, has been holding festivities for the world-famous tortoise all year.
Although Jonathan’s exact birthday is unknown, they chose December 4 as his birthday and held a three-day celebration over the weekend.
Jonathan, who resides in the island’s governor’s mansion, is Saint Helena’s most famous resident and biggest celebrity. His face has been featured on stamps and a five-pence coin.
Its remarkably long life has earned him two major distinctions: In 2019, at the age of 187, he was officially declared the world’s oldest living land animal by Guinness World Records.
Jonathan is at least 190 years old, but possibly even older. His age estimate comes from his arrival at Saint Helena from Seychelles in 1882: he was described as “fully mature,” meaning he was at least 50. Thus, his birth year was 1832, at the latest.
And earlier this year, Jonathan has declared the oldest tortoise ever. In a Jan. 12 press release, Guinness declared Jonathan the “oldest chelonian,” which includes all tortoises, turtles, and terrapins.
Jonathan is at least 190 years old, but maybe older. His age estimate comes from his arrival at Saint Helena from Seychelles in 1882: he was described as “fully mature”, meaning he was at least 50 years old. Thus, his birth year was 1832, at the latest.
Despite being nearly two centuries old, Jonathan is still in relatively good shape. He’s blind and has no sense of smell, but he still has the appetite (and libido) of a younger turtle.
The world has changed a lot over the past 190 years, but Jonathan stays the same. He’s brought joy to generations of locals — and perhaps he’ll be around for many years to come.
Jonathan is a true icon and he still looks good for his age! Wishing him many happy and healthy years still ahead!