Jonathan, a giant tortoise of the family Aldabrachelys gigantea hololissa, is a 190-year-old land animal resides on the island of Saint Helena, in Seychelles.
Born in 1832, Jonathan the Tortoise is expected to turn 190 in 2022. This makes him the oldest known land animal alive today.
In 2022, Jonathan’s estimated age exceeded that of the tortoise that Guinness World Records had recognised as the oldest recorded ever, Tu’i Malila, who died in Tonga in 1966 at the age of 189.
Adwaita, an Aldabra giant tortoise that died in 2006 in the Alipore Zoological Gardens of Kolkata, India, is believed to have lived to the age of 255 years, but this has not been confirmed.
A photograph featuring Jonathan originally thought to date from 1902 actually dates from 1886, showing Jonathan four years after his arrival on Saint Helena. Measurements taken from the photograph show that he was definitely fully mature in 1886.
His age is estimated because he was “fully mature” when brought to Saint Helena in 1882. “Fully mature” means at least 50 years old, giving him a hatching date no later than 1832.
