This is Jonathan, the longest living animal on the planet and this is where you can see him

Johnathan celebrated quite the milestone in 2022 when he turned 190 years old and added to his Guinness title of the world’s oldest living animal, becoming the oldest tortoise ever. He took the honor from Tu’i Malila, a radiated tortoise that was a gift from Captain Cook to the royal family of Tonga in 1777, who lived to be at least 188.

While his age is an estimation, it is based on photographic evidence from around the time the Seychelles giant tortoise was brought to the island of St. Helena in 1882. Johnathan was a gift to the future governor of the South Atlantic island Sir William Grey-Wilson and has been a resident on the grounds of the governor’s house ever since.

Can tourists visit Johnathan?

Johnathan’s birthday is celebrated at the beginning of December at the Plantation House where he and other giant tortoises roam the grounds. He is believed to have been born in 1832, given that he has no birth certificate, but he may be even older.

Guinness World Records used an old photograph of Johnathan grazing on the grass at governor’s house on St Helena taken between 1882 and 1886 that shows him as a “fully mature” animal, which Seychelles giant tortoise achieve when they are 50 years old.

Visitors to the South Atlantic island can catch a glimpse of Johnathan from a viewing area on the Plantation House grounds. But best to visit on mild to warmer days.

When the weather gets cold, Johnathan prefers to dig into a pile of leaves or grass clippings to keep himself warm. On very hot days, he’ll seek out the shade.

But when the temperature is just right, he’ll sprawl out to sunbathe. Joe Hollins, Johnathan’s vet, explained to Guinness that the tortoise has, “his long neck and legs stretched fully out of his shell to absorb heat and transfer it to his core.”

Johnathan has slowed down a bit but is still has “plenty of energy left”

Hollins shared that Johnathan’s main hobbies are eating, sleeping, and mating.

At his advanced age he’s lost his sense of smell and is blind so while he can easily graze still, Johnathan “is unaware of food if we simply place it on the ground,” shared the St Helena Government. For that reason, “the Veterinary Section is still feeding him by hand once a week to boost his calories, vitamins, minerals and trace elements,” they explained.

However, he still has a sharp ear and “loves the company of humans, and responds well to his vet Joe Hollins’ voice as he associates him with a feast,” the government office said. He’s also got “plenty of energy left” based on an anecdote from Hollins.

“In spite of his age, Jonathan still has good libido and is seen frequently to mate with Emma and sometimes Fred,” the vet revealed. “Animals are often not particularly gender-sensitive!”

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