Jonathan The Tortoise Celebrates His 190th Birthday With A Feast

June 4, 2024 Malorie Thompson

Jonathan the tortoise just celebrated his 190th birthday, making him the oldest known land animal in the world!

Jonathan, who is a Seychelles giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea hololissa), lives on the Island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic.

Photo: YouTube/St Helena Tourism

The official Twitter page for St. Helena Tourism tweeted about his birthday, saying:

"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."

https://twitter.com/sthelenatourism/status/1599433873716191235

In the photos, you can see the giant tortoise chowing down on his feast of a "cake" that consist of a lovely pile of vegetables. Yum!

They added on YouTube that the tortoise will further enjoy his birthday with a "3-day celebration with the people of St Helena and lots of his favourite treats."

According to the Guinness World Records, Jonathan's 190th birthday earned him title holder for being the world's oldest-ever living chelonian (a reptile order that includes turtles, terrapins and tortoises). Beyond that, it also earned him the title of being the oldest known land animal overall.

Photo: YouTube/St Helena Tourism

Per the Guinness World Records, it's believed that Johnathon was born in 1832 in the Seychelles Islands, but was relocated to the Island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic in 1882.

As you can imagine, Johnathan has lived through quite a lot in his lifetime. He's lived through the seven British monarchs, 53 British prime ministers, and 40 U.S. presidents. In addition, he's been alive for key historic events that have shaped the world we live in today, such as the abolishment of slavery in both the U.K. and the U.S., advancements in labor laws, health and safety practices, and technology. It's really incredible to think about how much the world has changed during Johnathan's life.

You can see more Johnathon in the video below:

Malorie Thompson

Malorie works as a writer and editor in Northern California. She's passionate about food, conscious living, animal welfare, and conservation. She's worked with a variety of publications in different sectors but is happiest covering topics close to her heart. When not at her laptop, Malorie can be found enjoying picnics on the beach, hiking in the redwoods, and spending time with her rescue pup, Jax.

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