Meet Jonathan, The 187-Year-Old Tortoise, The Oldest-Known Animal In The World
3 min readApr 16, 2020
Jonathan is one of several giant tortoises that live on the grounds of Plantation House, the residence of the Governor of St Helena. Jonathan is the most famous because he is the oldest — indeed he may be the oldest living land animal on the planet!
Visitors to Plantation House can see the tortoises roaming free on the grounds. He doesn’t reside at his awesome digs alone, he shares the property with a crew of 5 other tortoises. Without a doubt, Jonathan is the oldest of the pack.
Jonathan is still going strong, but he feels the effects of aging. His smell has started to go, along with his eyesight. Surprisingly though, he hasn’t lost his libido and he is rather interested in the youngest female tortoise he lives with.
