Jonathan the tortoise celebrated his 190th birthday, extending his run as the world’s longest living land animal.
Jonathan first came to his present home on the island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic in 1882 as a gift to the governor of the island, which is a British territory. He is said to have been 50 years old at the time.
Jonathan, now 190 years old on Earth, is 48 inches long, the same height as when he first arrived on the island. His tortoise species reaches full maturity at 50 years old, which is the best estimate of his age, although some naturalists believe he may be even older.
Despite his long life, he only gained international attention in 2008 when The Independent reported on his then remarkable age of 176 years.
Locals have speculated as to why Jonathan lived so long, exceeding the expected lifespan of his breed, the Seychelles giant tortoise, which is 150 years old.
Jonathan was five years old when Queen Victoria – Britain’s second longest reigning monarch – ascended the throne and he survived both world wars. It is older than the first photo and has seen the administrations of 39 US Presidents.
Jonathan lives on the governor’s plantation in St. Helena. AFP via Getty Images
Locals organized a series of events to celebrate Jonathan’s birthday, culminating in a three-day celebration.
Jonathan, estimated to have been born in 1832, has spent most of his life in the governor’s plantation house, according to the island’s website, which adds that Jonathan may well serve as a national symbol for the island. Jonathan’s image even adorns the reverse of a 5p Saint Helena coin.
Scientists even studied Jonathan to see what health benefits they could get from his diet and cells. Because its cells don’t mutate like human cells, scientists are hoping it could unveil a secret to fighting cancer in humans.
Jonathan shares his home with three other tortoises: Emma, a 54-year-old woman; David, a 54-year-old man; and Frederika, formerly Fredrik, a 31-year-old turtle who was originally thought to be male but is now thought to be female. The first two arrived in 1969 and Frederika arrived in 1991.
Jonathan last year surpassed the previous record holder for the oldest living land animal, a Madagascar tortoise named Tu’I Malila, which was gifted to the royal family of Tonga in 1777 and died in 1965 at the age of 188, according to Smithsonian magazine.