Happy birthday, Jonathan! The Seychelles giant tortoise just celebrated his 190th birthday on December 4. Born in Seychelles, Africa’s smallest country, Jonathan was gifted to the governor of Saint Helena — a British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic — back in 1882. And he still resides within the grounds of today’s governor’s house.
Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise, is 190 years old–though some experts believe he might be even older. These creatures mature at 50 years old and stop growing after that point. When he was gifted to the governor of Saint Helena, Jonathan had already matured and was 120 cm in size. His actual birthdate remains a mystery; however, last month the current governor of Saint Helena gave Jonathan an official birthday of December 4.
The island held a three-day celebration to mark the milestone of Jonathan’s 111th birthday. Despite his advanced age, Jonathan is still a much-loved and important figure on the island. He has been officially recognized as the oldest living animal in The Guinness Book of Records and his image appears on the back of Saint Helena five pence coin.
Although he is quite old, Jonathan still has three friends to keep him company – Emma, David, and Frederika. All of them are tortoises like him, but much younger than him. In fact, Frederika is the youngest only 31 years under her shell. Nevertheless, they all enjoy each other’s company on the island where Jonathan has lived for over 140 years now.
Jonathan is a Seychelles giant tortoise who was born in 1832 and currently resides on Saint Helena, an island in the South Atlantic Ocean. He is one of the oldest living animals in the world and his long life serves as a reminder of how important conservation efforts are for these amazing creatures. Despite his age and challenges, Jonathan remains beloved by the community and is an inspiration to us all.
