Jonathan, a giant tortoise from Seychelles has seen it all. He has been living a relaxing life on a remote island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic since the late 1880s.
Jonathan was born in 1832 and has been around 189 years making him the oldest known animal in the world who has seen generations come and go.
The average life expectancy for a tortoise of his species is about 150 years. This means that Jonathan has already outlived all his fellow tortoises by almost 40 years!
Jonathan has been officially recognized as the oldest living land animal by Guinness World Records.
Researchers believe that Jonathan’s ancient genetic information may prove vital in finding a cure for cancer in humans.
He is likely fully blind now, but he still makes his way around well. He lives a very calm life despite his popularity. He lives on the grounds of the Plantation House, the official residence of the governor and even his portrait is on the back of the island’s five pence coin.
Comments
Post a Comment