Jonathan Was Born In 1832 And Is The Oldest Living Animal On The Planet

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)