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![Jonathan turned 191 this year. (Photo Credits: Instagram) World’s Oldest Living Land Animal, A Tortoise, Turns 191](https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/stsp/to_webp,q_lossy,ret_img/https://images.news18.com/ibnlive/uploads/2021/07/1627283897_news18_logo-1200x800.jpg?impolicy=website&width=510&height=356)
Jonathan turned 191 this year. (Photo Credits: Instagram)
A birthday cake was organised for the world’s oldest living land animal. The tortoise’s estimated birthdate is based on certain aspects.
The captivating world of the Animal Kingdom, ranging from marine life to jungle safaris, never fails to captivate human interest. Animal lovers, in particular, maintain a joyful connection through their acts of kindness. In a heartwarming incident this month, Jonathan, the world’s oldest living land animal, a tortoise, turned 191.
According to reports, Jonathan is believed to have been hatched in 1832 before it was moved to Saint Helena 50 years later. The date of birth of this tortoise is an estimate based on the fact it was fully mature, and therefore at least 50 years old, when it arrived on Saint Helena Island.
In 2022, Nigel Phillips, the Governor of the British overseas territory, granted it the official birthday of 4 December 1832. Based on that estimate, which means this year, Jonathan has turned the grand old age of 191.
Many social media users were left stunned after knowing Jonathan’s age. For internet users, this grand old tortoise has outlived presidents and Queens, millions of people, and witnessed major transformations, the globe has seen like the creation of sliced bread, the telephone, the internet and many more.
Reports further suggest that Jonathan hasn’t had to go through it all on his own, having found himself involved in a 26-year partnership with a fellow male tortoise on their home on the island of Saint Helena in the Atlantic Ocean.
Interestingly, Joe Hollins, a long-time veterinarian of Jonathan, told the Guinness World Records (GWR) that the mammal shows no signs of slowing down. “In spite of losing his sense of smell and being virtually blind from cataracts, his appetite remains keen. He is still being hand-fed once a week with a fortifying helping of fruit and vegetables by a small, dedicated team. This not only supplements his calories but provides those essential drivers of his metabolism: vitamins, minerals, and trace elements. It is extraordinary to think that this gentle giant has outlived every other living creature on land, including of course the whole human race,” Hollins said to GWR as quoted by Hindustan Times.