Meet World’s Oldest Tortoise: Jonathan Turns 190 Years Old

VIVA – There are amazing things in the world, one is the world's oldest tortoise, Jonathan. It turns 190 years old and this makes Jonathan the longest-living land animal in the world.

According to the New York Post, Jonathan first arrived at current home on the island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic in 1882 as a gift to the governor of the island, which is British territory. At the time, this tortoise was estimated to be 50 years old. Now, it is 190 years old on Earth, Jonathan is still 48 inches long, the same size as when it arrived on the island.

Tortoise species like Jonathan reach full maturity at the age of 50, giving the best estimate of Jonathan’s age, although some naturalists believe Jonathan could be even older. Despite its longevity, it "only" received international attention in 2008 when The Independent reported its incredible age of 176 years.

Locals speculated why Jonathan had lived so long, exceeding the life expectancy of its origin, the Seychelles Giant tortoise, which is 150 years old. Uniquely, Jonathan outlived World War II.

Locals held several events to celebrate Jonathan's birthday over three days culminating in a celebration on the third day. Estimated to have been born in 1832, Jonathan has spent most of its life in the governor's plantation house, according to the island's website, which adds that Jonathan could serve as a national symbol for the island.

Scientists have even studied Jonathan to determine what health benefits they might get from its diet and cells. Since its cells don't mutate in the same way as human cells, scientists hope that Jonathan may uncover the secret to fighting cancer in humans.

Jonathan shares its home with three other tortoises: Emma, a 54-year-old female; David, a 54-year-old male; and Frederika, formerly Fredrik, a 31-year-old tortoise originally thought to be male but now thought to be female. The first two arrived in 1969, and Frederika arrived in 1991.

Last year, Jonathan surpassed the previous record holder for the oldest living land animal, a Madagascar tortoise named Tu'I Malila who was given to the royal family of Tonga in 1777 and died in 1965 at the age of 188, according to the Smithsonian website magazine.