When Jonathan the tortoise decides to stretch his neck opening and limbs out of his racing shell and enjoy a trivial sunbathing on the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic , it ’s a lot so peculiar that alarmed passersby will report that the poor animate being has perish .
That may sound like a rash finis , but people have reason to be refer . At 187 years old , Jonathan is believed to have far exceeded the typical 150 - year lifespan of his specie to become the world ’s older surviving terra firma animal .
The rubric has been make out by Guinness World Records , which recentlyprofiledJonathan . With an guess birth year of 1832 , the affable reptile has lived through the term of 39 U.S. president , two public warfare , and the conception of the unaccented bulb . He came to Saint Helena around 1882 , with his historic period at the time figured to be around 50 years old . He was intended to be a gift to the regulator of the Overseas British Territory at the time , William Grey - Wilson , and has lived on the grounds of the regulator ’s mansion ever since .
Advancing geezerhood is not without its import . Jonathan is intimately unreasoning from cataract and appears to have lost his sense of aroma . He ’s care for by veterinarians who arrange for a nutritious fruit and vegetable diet .
consider to be a rare Seychelles whale tortoise , Jonathan shares the attribute with three other trounce protagonist : David , Emma , and Fred . If he hangs on for a minute longer , he ’ll likely set the all - time Guinness World Record for a chelonian lifespan currently held by Tu’i Malila , a tortoise who passed at geezerhood 188 in 1965 .
From all indications , it appears Jonathan has not miss his taste for life ’s pleasure . According to island residents , he ’s fond of copulate with Emma and has even been know to enjoy flirt with Fred . This flummox a unique tariff for Governor Lisa Phillips , who sometimes has to maneuver outside and put the tortoises back on their feet if they fall off during their sensual encounters .
" That was n’t in the job verbal description when I became regulator , " Phillipssaidin 2017 .
[ h / tGuinness World Records ]
