Jonathan (tortoise)

Jonathan (hatched c. 1832) is a Seychelles giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea hololissa), a subspecies of the Aldabra giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea). His age is estimated to be 193 as of 2026, making him the oldest known living land animal as well as the oldest verified tortoise in recorded history. He was officially named in Guinness World Records "Icons" list. Jonathan lives on the grounds of the Plantation House on Saint Helena, a British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic Ocean.

History

Jonathan, hatched c. 1832, was brought to Saint Helena from the Seychelles (then under the British Crown colony of Mauritius) in the Indian Ocean in 1882, along with three other tortoises at around 50 years of age, as a gift to Sir William Grey-Wilson, who later became governor of the island. He was named in the 1930s by Governor of Saint Helena Sir Spencer Davis and has lived through 31 governors' terms. He continues to live on the grounds of Plantation House, the official residence of the governor, and is cared for by the government of Saint Helena. His exact age is unknown, but in November 2022 Nigel Phillips, Governor of Saint Helena, granted him an official birthday of 4 December.

In December 2015, the Saint Helena veterinarian Joe Hollins said that Jonathan was "alive and well [...] He's blind from cataracts, has lost his sense of smell, and so cannot detect food ... but he has retained excellent hearing." In January 2016, the BBC reported that Jonathan was given a new diet intended to keep him healthy and extend his life.