How old is “old,” exactly? For a human, 80 years is considered a full life, and a full century is pushing it. But for other species, this is nothing. Case in point: a giant tortoise that was born a full century before the Great Depression, and is still alive and kicking today.
Jonathan has been around a long time.
Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise, has lived most of his life in comfort, slowly ambling around his home grounds in the South Atlantic. But if he could talk, he’d probably have a few stories.
Here he is back in 1886.
1886 was a long time ago! Here’s the kicker, though: by the time this pic was taken, Jonathan was no spring chicken. In fact, if he were a human, he’d already be past middle age at this point.
He arrived at his home in 1882.
He was brought from his birthplace in the Seychelles to Plantation House, a property on the island of Saint Helena, in 1882. Almost unbelievably, he was already half a century old at this point.
He was born around 1832.
This is so old that there can’t be baby photos of him, because photography barely existed at that point in time. The first photo that ever showed a person, shown above, was taken in 1838, when Jonathan was six years old.
Here’s some historical perspective.
When Jonathan was born, Texas was still a part of Mexico. It then went on to be an independent nation for nearly a decade before being annexed by the United States. Jonathan was alive through all of this.
The world looked different back then.
Saint Helena is still a British territory, but when Jonathan first arrived there, practically half the world consisted of British territories. Huge countries like Canada, India and Australia were all under British rule.
People just don’t live that long.
There’s a bit of controversy, but Jeanne Calment is recognized as the oldest confirmed human. She died in 1997 at the age of 122 years, or about 60 years younger than Jonathan.
Some creatures give Jonathan a run for his money.
The Greenland shark is a fairly elusive and rarely seen shark that hangs out in the North Atlantic. Perhaps its elusiveness explains its longevity, as it’s estimated to live up to 500 years.
Trees are on another level.
Despite deforestation, our planet is dotted with trees that are thousands of years old. This Great Basin bristlecone pine, dubbed “Methusaleh,” is estimated to be about 4,850 years old.
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Here’s where things get really wild.
Turritopsis dohrnii , appropriately known as the “immortal jellyfish,” is capable of going from its adult state to its infant state and back, and then do it again and again and again. This means that, in theory, these jellyfish are immortal.
Back to Jonathan…
He’s lived so long, and seen so much of Saint Helena’s history, that he’s become a mascot for the island. He’s even featured on the island’s official currency, seen here on the five pence piece.
He’s showing his age…a bit.
A little over five years ago, he was reported to be “blind from cataracts, has lost his sense of smell, and so cannot detect food.” Still, thanks to his loyal caretakers, he lives a comfortable life.
We could all learn something from Jonathan.
True, most of us won’t live a century or longer, but there’s a lesson here: think deliberately, don’t move too fast, and learn to chill. If Jonathan can do it, so can we!
h/t: Jonathan the tortoise: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_(tortoise)
