Still plodding on

World’s oldest land animal turns 190

If there is a party animal at large this weekend, Jonathan is it: the Seychelles giant tortoise is about to celebrate his 190th birthday with a three-day bash.

Living on St Helena since 1882, when he was taken there as a gift to the governor of the small south Atlantic Ocean island, he is no stranger to international renown, having scooped awards from the Guinness Book of Records for being the oldest known living land animal and the oldest member of the tortoise, turtle and terrapin family ever recorded.

He has also been involved in romantic intrigue: after a period of irritability, he was presented with a mate in 1991 with whom he happily developed an intimate relationship.

But 26 years later, the lack of offspring was explained when his amorous partner – Frederica – turned out, upon further inspection, to be male.

Jonathan is also something of a local celebrity: as well as being a famous island attraction he has featured on the reverse of the local 5p coin.

While Jonathan has long been covered in wrinkles, he is now also blind with cataracts and lacks a sense of smell. Although his precise date of birth remains unknown, estimates suggest he hatched around 1832.

But it was only in November this year that he was finally granted an official birthday, of 4 December 1832, by Governor Nigel Phillips.

“Jonathan’s age is an estimation based on the fact that he was fully mature, and hence at least 50 years old, when he arrived in St Helena from the Seychelles in 1882. In all likelihood, he is even older than we think,” says the Guinness Book of Records.

His age means Jonathan was a youngster when Queen Victoria came to the throne in 1837. But he is too young to have met St Helena’s most notorious resident, Napoleon Bonaparte: the French military leader arrived on the island as a prisoner in 1815 and died there in 1821.

Jonathan is set to celebrate his anniversary in style, with a threeday party that started yesterday likely to attended by many of the island’s 4,400 residents.

Planned highlights include a tortoise friendly “birthday cake” and an animated video about his life.

Partygoers will receive a special certificate, be able to buy Jonathanrelated stamps, and see the winners of a “draw Jonathan” art competition.