The world’s oldest tortoise and oldest known living land animal recently celebrated his 190th birthday. Jonathan, a spry giant tortoise, marked the occasion with a salad cake at the Plantation House, his home on the island of St. Helena. Jonathan is estimated to have been born in 1832 and was brought to St. Helena in 1882 from the Seychelles as a gift to the governor at the time. Jonathan may be blind and have no sense of smell, but that hasn’t stopped him from enjoying life on St. Helena. According to his caretakers, the friendly Jonathan can often be found eating, sleeping, or mating with one of the other giant tortoises on the island—David, Emma, and Fred. That’s right, Jonathan is a bisexual tortoise and has become an LGBTQ icon. Jonathan has far surpassed the average life expectancy of 150 years and is still healthy and happy.
Image via The Plantation House
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