10/30/2025
Jonathan – The Timeless Guardian of Earth
Jonathan, the Seychelles giant tortoise of St. Helena’s Plantation House, has reached a remarkable milestone — 191 years of life — earning his title as the oldest living land creature on the planet.
Born around 1832, Jonathan’s lifetime stretches across three different centuries — an era that has witnessed the fall of empires, the dawn of electricity, the first flight of humankind, and now, the age of artificial intelligence. Through every chapter of human progress, Jonathan has remained — calm, patient, and eternal — a living link to the distant past.
Though time has dimmed his sight and silenced his sense of smell, his spirit remains undiminished. Hand-fed by caretakers and surrounded by fellow tortoises, Jonathan continues to show warmth and vitality — a testament to endurance, grace, and the quiet power of life itself.