Jonathan the Tortoise: The World’s Oldest Living Land Animal at 194 Years Old

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Care, Health, and Modern Management

Veterinary Care and Health Conditions
When veterinarian Joe Hollins arrived on Saint Helena in 2009, he found Jonathan in poor physical condition. Over the following years, Hollins undertook a dedicated rehabilitation program that has dramatically improved Jonathan's health and quality of life.

A primary health concern for Jonathan is cataracts, which have resulted in significant vision loss. Due to his blindness, Hollins developed specialized feeding techniques, hand-feeding Jonathan while wearing thick protective gloves to shield his fingers from Jonathan's sharp beak. Despite his visual impairment, Jonathan has retained excellent hearing and responds to the sound of Hollins' voice.

Additional age-related conditions include the loss of his sense of smell, which previously allowed him to detect food independently. Despite these challenges, Jonathan maintains robust appetite and continues to engage actively with his environment.

Diet and Nutritional Management
Jonathan's diet has been carefully enhanced to support longevity and optimal health. His natural diet consists of grass and hay from the Plantation House grounds. Supplementing this foundation, the veterinary staff provides seasonal fruits and vegetables approximately once per week, including apples, pears, bananas, lettuce, cabbage, carrots, and cucumbers.

In January 2016, the BBC reported that Jonathan was given a new specialized diet specifically designed to maintain his health and extend his lifespan. The careful nutritional management has proven effective in sustaining Jonathan through his remarkable advanced age.

Personality and Behavioral Characteristics
According to Joe Hollins, Jonathan possesses a gentle disposition befitting a creature of his advanced age and stature. Hollins describes Jonathan as "a gentleman of a tortoise," noting that his mild temperament likely results from his vision impairment, which makes him cautious and reliant on his caretakers' guidance.

• Voice Recognition: Jonathan recognizes Hollins' voice and jerks his head up, beginning to bite the air in anticipated greeting when he hears his full name called softly from a distance.
• Affection Display: Jonathan particularly enjoys having his neck stroked, extending it fully to gain maximum benefit. Despite his thick leathery skin, he displays remarkable sensitivity to touch and appears to enjoy the warmth provided by human contact.
• Vocalizations: Jonathan occasionally hisses while eating, though the sound more closely resembles a sigh of satisfaction. He is notably a prolific burper, much to the amusement of visitors to Plantation House.
• Speed: When anticipating his regular feeding, Jonathan demonstrates considerable mobility, moving with surprising quickness for a tortoise of his age and size.