10/10/2026
Meet Jonathan, the world's oldest known living land animal, estimated to be 194 years old.
Believed to have hatched around 1832, he was already alive before Queen Victoria became queen, before cars filled the roads, and decades before the first powered aeroplane flight.🐢
This Seychelles giant tortoise has lived on the remote island of St Helena since 1882, roaming the grounds of Plantation House, the governor's residence. He was already fully grown when he arrived, meaning he was likely at least 50 years old-and could be even older than his estimated age.
Although cataracts have left him virtually blind and he has lost his sense of smell, Jonathan still has excellent hearing and a healthy appetite, with carers helping him get the food he needs. Across nearly two centuries, the world has transformed around him while he continues his quiet life on the island.
