Introduction:
On a remote island in the South Atlantic, a nearly two-century-old resident spends his days basking in the sun and munching on grass. Meet Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise who hatched around 1832 – making him the oldest known living land animal on Earth . Incredibly, Jonathan was born before the invention of the telephone and lightbulb, and he has quietly witnessed world history unfold from his gentle perspective . From the Victorian era to the age of smartphones, this ancient tortoise’s life story combines a unique narrative of endurance with fascinating lessons about biology and conservation. In this article, we’ll journey through Jonathan’s extraordinary life, explore how he has outlived two world wars and 40 U.S. presidents , and uncover the secrets behind the exceptional longevity of giant tortoises.
Jonathan, pictured on the lush lawn of Plantation House, St. Helena, is a Seychelles giant tortoise who has lived an astonishing 193 years (and counting). His calm daily routine of grazing and sunbathing belies the nearly two centuries of history he carries on his shell.
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A Two-Century Life: Jonathan’s Journey Through History
Jonathan’s life began in the Seychelles (a group of islands in the Indian Ocean) around 1832 during the era of sailing ships and early steam engines . He spent his youth in a world that was largely untouched by modern technology – Charles Darwin was voyaging on the HMS Beagle when Jonathan hatched . In 1882, at around 50 years old, Jonathan was brought by ship to the island of Saint Helena as a gift to the colonial governor . Stepping ashore on this volcanic outpost (famous as Napoleon’s last exile), Jonathan was already a hefty, fully grown tortoise making an impression on the locals with his size and age . He soon settled into his new home on the manicured grounds of Plantation House, the governor’s residence on St. Helena, where he has lived ever since .
Through the decades, Jonathan quietly became a living time capsule. To put his age in perspective: he was alive during the U.S. Civil War, saw the reign of Queen Victoria (and seven more British monarchs since), witnessed the rise and fall of the Soviet Union, and lived through two world wars . He has seen 40 U.S. presidents come and go – from Andrew Jackson all the way to the present day . When Jonathan hatched, the world still communicated by Morse code; in his lifetime he saw humans invent the radio, the airplane, and even walk on the Moon. It’s as if history has unfolded around him while he plodded on at his own steady pace. As one observer noted, this gentle giant has outlived every person who was alive when he was born, “including, of course, the whole human race” of the 19th century .
Despite his monumental age, Jonathan’s day-to-day life has been peaceful and routine. He was named “Jonathan” in the 1930s by a governor of St. Helena , and over the years he became a beloved island resident and something of a celebrity. The local community treasures him – his image even appears on St. Helena’s five-pence coin . Tourists and dignitaries who visit Plantation House are often delighted (and humbled) to meet this ancient reptile lounging in the grass. Think about it: the very same tortoise posing for photos today might have been photographed back in 1886, in one of the earliest known pictures of him grazing on those grounds . Jonathan truly bridges centuries – a creature from the age of muskets and monarchs still alive in the age of the internet.
From the Seychelles to St. Helena: An Island Home
Jonathan’s move from Seychelles to St. Helena in 1882 was part of a common practice at the time – giant tortoises were often given as exotic gifts (assuming they weren’t eaten first as ship provisions!) . Upon arrival, Jonathan joined a small group of tortoises on St. Helena, wandering freely on the spacious lawn of Plantation House. Saint Helena’s climate is mild, and the grounds provided plenty of grass and greenery for a hungry tortoise. Over nearly 140 years on the island, Jonathan has seen 31 governors of St. Helena come and go, quietly outlasting each administration with his much longer natural lifespan . Caretakers note that he knows every corner of the large paddock where he lives and sticks to familiar habits, showing that even at extreme age, he’s very much at home in his territory .
In his earlier decades on St. Helena, Jonathan shared the lawns with at least three other giant tortoises. Today, he lives alongside three younger tortoise companions named Emma, David, and Fred (short for Frederica) . The group can often be seen ambling together or snoozing under the trees. Jonathan’s presence has been a constant through generations of island residents – many locals grew up visiting him, and he’s become an integral part of St. Helena’s identity. One fun anecdote from his long life: in the 1990s, the French consul gifted a supposed female tortoise, “Frederica,” to be Jonathan’s companion . For years, Jonathan courted Frederica and the two were inseparable. It was only in 2017 that a vet examining “her” shell discovered Frederica was actually male, so “she” was renamed Frederik ! Jonathan didn’t seem to mind this revelation – as his veterinarian Joe Hollins quipped, “Animals are often not particularly gender-sensitive” . This enduring friendship (regardless of gender) just adds to Jonathan’s legend and the affectionate, almost soap-opera-like lore surrounding his love life.
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Secrets of Longevity: Why Turtles and Tortoises Live So Long
What is the secret behind Jonathan’s nearly 200-year lifespan? Giant tortoises like Jonathan are renowned for their longevity, and science offers some fascinating insights into how they can live over a century while most other animals (and humans) cannot. A big part of the secret is a slow metabolism – Jonathan and his kind burn energy very slowly. Their heart rate and metabolism are sluggish compared to mammals, which reduces oxidative stress and cellular damage over time . In other words, tortoise bodies “wear out” much more slowly than those of faster-paced animals. This slow metabolic rate also means they can survive long periods without food or water, entering almost a low-power mode during tough times and further minimizing aging damage to their cells .
Another factor is their built-in armor and size. Giant tortoises have massive, domed shells and can weigh hundreds of pounds, which discourages predators. Once a tortoise reaches adulthood, very few predators can harm it – they are literally walking fortresses, so they rarely die from predation or injury that would be common causes of death in other species . This means a tortoise that survives youth essentially has the luxury to die of old age, since not much can catch or kill it. Their easy-going lifestyle – mostly eating, sleeping, and wandering without high stress – likely contributes to a longer lifespan as well.
Giant tortoises often live in stable, low-stress environments. Pictured above is a herd of Aldabra giant tortoises in the Seychelles grazing peacefully together. With their hardy shells and slow pace of life, adult tortoises face few threats and can afford to grow very old .
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On a genetic level, researchers have discovered that tortoises are equipped with special genetic adaptations for longevity. A recent genome study of giant tortoises found gene variants that enhance DNA repair and boost immune response, as well as extra copies of genes that suppress cancer . These genetic traits help tortoises fend off the usual ravages of aging: their cells can fix damage better and are less likely to grow tumors or succumb to diseases. Essentially, evolution has fine-tuned giant tortoises to age more slowly. They exhibit what biologists call “negligible senescence,” meaning their risk of death doesn’t increase as rapidly with age as it does in most creatures . So while a human centenarian might be extremely frail, a 150-year-old tortoise can still be active and relatively healthy – as Jonathan himself demonstrates. All these factors together (slow metabolism, protective physiology, and hardy genes) have allowed Jonathan and other tortoises to achieve lifespans that boggle the mind.
The Seychelles Giant Tortoise: Giants of an Island Ecosystem
Jonathan is specifically a Seychelles giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea hololissa), a rare subspecies of the Aldabra giant tortoise . In fact, scientists believe he might be one of the last of this Seychelles lineage, which was thought to be extinct in the wild – only a few dozen individuals survive globally in captivity . Historically, giant tortoises thrived on many Western Indian Ocean islands, but sailors in the 17th–19th centuries hunted them heavily for food, driving several island species to extinction . The Aldabra Atoll (part of Seychelles) is one place where giant tortoises survived in large numbers, as it was remote enough to escape most human exploitation. Today, Aldabra’s tortoise population (over 100,000 strong) is a conservation success, protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. By contrast, the Seychelles giant tortoise like Jonathan exists only in managed environments, and conservationists carefully breed the remaining ones to boost their numbers . The biggest threat now to these tortoises’ survival isn’t predators or hunters, but inbreeding – with so few left, maintaining genetic diversity is a challenge .
In the wild, giant tortoises are the ultimate gentle giants of their habitat. On islands like Aldabra, they inhabit many types of terrain – from grasslands and scrub forests to mangrove swamps and coastal dunes . Being herbivores, they spend much of the day slowly grazing on grasses, leaves, and fallen fruit . (They’re not strictly vegetarian, though – they have been known to scavenge carrion and even occasionally snack on small critters if opportunity arises !) Fresh water can be scarce on remote islands, but these tortoises are well-adapted: they get most of their moisture from succulent plants and dew, and can withstand long periods of drought by storing water internally . Over centuries, tortoise herds have literally shaped their ecosystem. As they trundle along trails and constantly crop the vegetation, they act like the island’s gardeners and landscapers. In fact, on Aldabra their continuous grazing led to a unique cropped grassland called “tortoise turf” – a community of over 20 grass and herb species that evolved to grow low to the ground, below the reach of a tortoise’s hungry mouth ! With no large mammals around, these tortoises fill an ecological role similar to elephants or cattle: they knock over small trees, clear pathways through brush, and disperse seeds. The entire island ecosystem has adapted around them, illustrating how important these long-lived reptiles are to their environment.
Life at 193: Jonathan’s Golden Years
One might expect a 193-year-old animal to be feeble, but Jonathan defies expectations. Despite his extreme age, he remains remarkably healthy and active. Granted, he has the ailments of a very senior citizen: Jonathan is blind from cataracts and has lost his sense of smell . He moves a bit slower than he used to and can’t perceive the world as sharply. Yet his caregivers report that Jonathan still has “no sign of slowing down” in the ways that matter . His hearing is good, and he responds to the voice of his vet – mostly because he knows it means food is coming! He spends his days much like any retired gentleman would: ambling about the lawn he knows so well, warming himself in the sun, and napping in the shade when he feels like it .
Most amusing (and endearing) of all, Jonathan’s appetite and libido remain hearty even after nearly two centuries. He eagerly devours his meals of fresh produce. His favorite foods include carrots, cabbage, apples, bananas and guava – though he’s not a fan of kale, according to his caretakers . Because of his poor eyesight and dulled beak, the staff at Plantation House hand-feed him a special bucket of fruits and vegetables once a week to make sure he’s getting enough vitamins and calories . This weekly treat has done wonders: some years ago Jonathan was losing weight, but the extra nutrition helped him regain condition and even improved the sharp edge of his beak for grazing . And then there’s Jonathan’s romantic life – far from celibate, he continues to seek out his tortoise companions for mating. He frequently courts Emma, the younger female, and doesn’t shy away from mounting Frederik now and then too . It’s a clear sign that, in his own mellow way, Jonathan is still capable of the natural drives of a much younger animal. As Dr. Hollins laughs, Jonathan’s longevity hasn’t dampened his enthusiasm for life: “in spite of his age, Jonathan still has a good libido” .
The government of St. Helena takes excellent care of this prized resident. Jonathan has regular vet check-ups and is handled with great respect due to his age. In 2022, the island even threw a big 190th birthday celebration for him, complete with a special salad “cake” and worldwide media attention . He was officially given a birthday of December 4, 1832 (based on the best estimates of his hatching date) so that his tremendous age could be formally honored each year . Reaching 191 and 192 in the past couple of years, Jonathan keeps extending his own Guinness World Record. He holds the titles of the oldest chelonian (turtle/tortoise) ever recorded and the oldest living land animal of any species . As his veterinarian has noted, every additional year Jonathan lives is itself a new record. There is cautious optimism that he might even reach the 200-year milestone in the late 2020s if his health continues to hold . Given his current vigor, Jonathan may very well shuffle his way into a third century of life – a truly mind-blowing possibility.
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The Legacy of a Gentle Giant
Jonathan’s story is far more than an age curiosity; it’s a testament to the resilience of nature and a gentle reminder of our connection to the past. Here is an animal that began life in the era of quill pens and candlelight, now living in a world of satellites and social media. His longevity teaches us about the marvels of evolution – how tortoises evolved to survive in isolated islands with little change, achieving lifespans that eclipse our own. It also highlights the importance of conservation: had humans not protected Jonathan and his species, we might have lost this living treasure long ago. Instead, he has become an ambassador for wildlife, inspiring interest and care for endangered animals across the globe.
There is something undeniably poetic about Jonathan the tortoise peacefully grazing on his lawn while having “seen” nearly two centuries of human history. He reminds us that with a slow, steady life and a bit of luck (plus good care), it’s possible to grow very old gracefully. Jonathan’s easygoing existence – unhurried, persistent, and enduring – offers a counterpoint to our fast-paced human world. As we celebrate his amazing life, we can’t help but feel a sense of awe. Jonathan is not just the oldest tortoise; he’s a living legend, a creature who turned “older than dirt” into a heartwarming reality. With every year he thrives, Jonathan carries the story of the natural world’s longevity and wonder on his broad shell, inspiring young and old alike. Here’s wishing this venerable tortoise many more sunny days ahead, as he continues making history simply by being alive.
