Jonathan is the world’s oldest living land animal, currently 191 years old.

Last year, St. Helena Governor Nigel Phillips officially announced Jonathan’s hatching date as Dec. 4, 1832, but Hollins still celebrates on New Year’s Day.

“It’s not his birthday today, but whatever it is, it’s a celebration of his age,” Hollins said.

For the first time in 47 years, all animals at this Pennsylvania shelter have been adopted out.

Hollins expects Jonathan to wander slowly (very slowly) on his big day, find fresh clover, and take a late afternoon nap. His slowness reflects his race rather than his vitality.

At 192 years old, Jonathan still shows a zest for life.

Hollins said he developed a relationship with another turtle named Fred (thought to be Frederica at the time) more than 25 years ago, and now occasionally tries to mate with him and a turtle named Emma. That’s what it means.

“As a veterinarian, I can tell you that we humans are the only ones that care about gender distinctions,” Hollins says. “Animals are not very picky.”

Seychelles giant tortoises have already exceeded the average lifespan of land tortoises, which is 150 years, by several decades, but Hollins hopes they will continue to welcome visitors into the third century at the governor’s mansion in British St. Helena. Are expected. It is located approximately 1,200 miles off the coast of Africa.

With the exception of the Greenland shark, which is estimated to live at least 250 years, “it’s amazing to think that there are no creatures on the surface of this planet that existed before him,” Hollins said.

Earlier this year, he wrote a book about his self-care adventures, “Vet at the End of the Earth,” published by Duckworth Books in the UK. Hollins said there are plans to publish the book in the United States in late 2024.

The first part of his book focuses on the complexities of Jonathan’s care. Hollins said Jonathan was in poor health with cataracts, a brittle beak and thinning reptilian skin when he arrived on the island more than 14 years ago.

After his dog died, he adopted dozens of the oldest dogs he could find.

Hollins said when she started giving Jonathan fresh fruits and vegetables to replace the calories he was getting from grass and hay, the turtle’s sharp beak returned and Jonathan’s health improved dramatically. .

He said he has been fascinated with shelled reptiles ever since he cared for smaller types of reptiles as a child growing up in the UK.

“I absolutely love this extraordinary animal,” he said of Jonathan. “It’s the greatest privilege to take care of him.”

Jonathan is a 400-pound Chelonian who is blind and has no sense of smell, but is otherwise healthy, has excellent hearing, and finds his way by sound.

Photographs taken between 1882 and 1886 show him grazing on the grounds outside the governor’s residence, and a letter states that he came to St. Helena from the Seychelles Islands in the Indian Ocean in 1882. It is said that he was “fully grown.”

Hollins, who would be at least 50 years old according to the Turtle’s chronology, is the most famous resident of St. Helena since Napoleon was exiled to the island in 1815 after his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo. He pointed out that.

Jonathan has become a media darling and has been featured in the Washington Post and other publications over the years.

Approximately 1,500 tourists visit the island each year to see Jonathan and other turtles. Fred is 52 years old and Emma and David are both 55 years old. Hollins said visitors often take home change, including 5p coins, from St. Helena. Items with Jonathan’s portrait engraved on them are in circulation.

“Tourists are crazy about Jono,” Hollins said, using the nickname he and the other two caretakers use.

“For this reason, we had to introduce a turtle corridor, an observation corridor, as groups of tourists flocked to the turtles for photos and selfies, and some even tried to ride the turtles,” he said. .

She spent a month trying to save a stray dog ​​whose head was stuck in a water jug.

Hollins said Jonathan was probably around 50 years old when the incandescent light bulb was invented, and visitors were surprised to learn that he had seen 31 governors come and go from St. Helena Governor’s Mansion during his lifetime. He is said to be in awe of him.

“He regularly hosts dignitaries, enjoys the attention and poses beautifully for cameras,” he said. “He loves to talk and socialize.”

Jonathan also enjoys the sounds coming from a nearby tennis court, with the turtles “sitting outside the court like fossilized spectators,” Hollins added.

“The sound of tennis balls clicking and screaming and laughter attracts him,” he says. “In 1969, he was recorded as being mischievous, disrupting a croquet match by sitting on a ball, and knocking over a bench by the tennis court.”

The turtles are also lured by the keeper’s voice and know that it’s almost time to eat.

“I approached him and gently called out to him, and he recognized my voice,” Hollins said. “He literally started jerking off and chewing the air trying to get attention.”

Hollins said she wears thick gloves to hand-feed the tortoises bananas, cucumbers, carrots and their favorite snacks, pears and lettuce cores.

“He loves to eat. If there’s a lot of food in the bucket, I’m afraid he’ll burst, so I often refrain from feeding him too much,” he said. Ta. “I never knew he pressed the stop button.”

He smiled that this crusty old turtle might still outlive him.

“I think no matter what happens, we can be satisfied that we did what was best for him,” he said. “But I would like to celebrate his 200th birthday with him.” [birthday.]”