A 189-year-old tortoise cannot see or smell but his libido shows no sign of slowing down.
Jonathan the Seychelles giant tortoise is believed to be the oldest land animal on Earth having lived through two world wars, the Russian Revolution, and 39 US presidents.
He was even once mounted like a horse by King Edward VIII before his brief stint on the throne.
Black and white photos show Jonathan's early years on the remote island of St Helena in the South Atlantic which has been his home since 1882.
A vet who knows the ancient tortoise best says despite him living to the best part of two centuries, Jonathan is as randy as ever.
St Helena’s resident vet Joe Hollins said in 2015: "He’s blind from cataracts, has lost his sense of smell, and so cannot detect food but he has retained excellent hearing.
"In spite of his age, Jonathan still has good libido and is seen frequently to mate with Emma and sometimes Fred – animals are often not particularly gender-sensitive."
According to The Times, in 1991 Frederika was introduced to Jonathan to keep him company and just as importantly spark some romance.
Before long it became a Sunday morning ritual for the pair to have it off yet it never resulted in offspring.
It was not until vets treated a lesion on Fred's shell that they realised she was in fact a he.
Vet Joe said: "For a veterinary surgeon, to have the oldest-known living land animal under his care is a great privilege, and something I could never have envisaged happening. I have bonded with him and am very fond of the crusty old reptile.
"There is a chance that he’ll either drop dead tomorrow or live until he’s 250 and see us all off."
Jonathan was brought to St Helena already fully grown which suggests he was about 50 years old at the time.
He was gifted to the then-governor of the Overseas British territory, William Grey-Wilson (in office 1890–97), and he has lived at the governor’s residence ever since, Guinness World Records reports.
Jonathan the Seychelles giant tortoise is believed to be the oldest land animal on Earth having lived through two world wars, the Russian Revolution, and 39 US presidents.
He was even once mounted like a horse by King Edward VIII before his brief stint on the throne.
Black and white photos show Jonathan's early years on the remote island of St Helena in the South Atlantic which has been his home since 1882.
A vet who knows the ancient tortoise best says despite him living to the best part of two centuries, Jonathan is as randy as ever.
St Helena’s resident vet Joe Hollins said in 2015: "He’s blind from cataracts, has lost his sense of smell, and so cannot detect food but he has retained excellent hearing.
"In spite of his age, Jonathan still has good libido and is seen frequently to mate with Emma and sometimes Fred – animals are often not particularly gender-sensitive."
According to The Times, in 1991 Frederika was introduced to Jonathan to keep him company and just as importantly spark some romance.
Before long it became a Sunday morning ritual for the pair to have it off yet it never resulted in offspring.
It was not until vets treated a lesion on Fred's shell that they realised she was in fact a he.
Vet Joe said: "For a veterinary surgeon, to have the oldest-known living land animal under his care is a great privilege, and something I could never have envisaged happening. I have bonded with him and am very fond of the crusty old reptile.
"There is a chance that he’ll either drop dead tomorrow or live until he’s 250 and see us all off."
Jonathan was brought to St Helena already fully grown which suggests he was about 50 years old at the time.
He was gifted to the then-governor of the Overseas British territory, William Grey-Wilson (in office 1890–97), and he has lived at the governor’s residence ever since, Guinness World Records reports.
Visit St.Helena Island Site; https://bit.ly/3tACs8b
Music: Sunset N Beachz - Ofshane
Source: Daily Star, Saint Helena Island, Wikipedia
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patryn.worldlatestnews
Comments
Post a Comment