Jan 8, 2016 07:01 PM
(This post was last modified: Jan 8, 2016 07:46 PM by Yazata.)
Jonathan is a giant tortoise on the British island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic. He's been living on the island since he was brought there in 1882 as a gift to the then-governor of the island from the governor of the Seychelles, which was another British colony at the time. It was estimated that he was about 50 when he arrived. (Suggesting that he hatched from his egg back in the 1830's.) These tortoises have a normal lifespan of about 150 years, it seems.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...athan.html
Sadly he has developed cataracts and has lost his sense of smell, so he couldn't find food and was slowly starving. That fact was eventually noticed by the island's vet and he was put on a nutritious (for tortoises) diet. Jonathan's diet includes lettuce, apples, carrots, guavas, bananas and what look like sliced cucumbers in the photo. He has been regaining weight and become more active. He appears thoroughly tame and seems to like humans and eats from their hands, which isn't surprising if they represent no threat and are feeding him. He's certainly had long enough to get used to humans.
Jonathan is believed to be the world's oldest living land animal. The vet says that with the feeding assistance, the tortoise equivalent of geriatric nursing care I guess, it's possible that he will make it to 200 or more.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...athan.html
Sadly he has developed cataracts and has lost his sense of smell, so he couldn't find food and was slowly starving. That fact was eventually noticed by the island's vet and he was put on a nutritious (for tortoises) diet. Jonathan's diet includes lettuce, apples, carrots, guavas, bananas and what look like sliced cucumbers in the photo. He has been regaining weight and become more active. He appears thoroughly tame and seems to like humans and eats from their hands, which isn't surprising if they represent no threat and are feeding him. He's certainly had long enough to get used to humans.
Jonathan is believed to be the world's oldest living land animal. The vet says that with the feeding assistance, the tortoise equivalent of geriatric nursing care I guess, it's possible that he will make it to 200 or more.
