He was the world’s oldest known tortoise and even met the late Queen when she was a princess.
But shelled icon Jonathan’s legions of fans have been left heartbroken after he died on Wednesday aged 193.
When the much-loved reptile was born, Queen Victoria had yet to take the British throne, Charles Darwin had not visited the Galapagos, no one had heard of budding author Charles Dickens, and Germany was a chaotic collection of 39 sovereign states.
Almost two centuries – and eight British monarchs – later Jonathan has passed away peacefully on St Helena, the remote South Atlantic island he called home.
‘Heartbroken to share that our beloved Jonathan, the world’s oldest living land animal, has passed away today peacefully on St Helena’, Joe Hollins, the vet who looked after him, wrote on social media late on Wednesday.
‘This gentle giant outlived empires, wars, and generations of humans.
‘As his vet for many years, it was an honour to care for him – hand-feeding bananas, watching him bask in the sun, and marvelling at his quiet wisdom.
‘He leaves behind a legacy of resilience and longevity that inspired millions. Rest easy, old friend. You’ll be missed more than words can say.’
Jonathan, the world’s oldest known tortoise who even met the late Queen, has died aged 193
He was brought to St Helena from the Seychelles in the 1880s and lived on the grounds of Plantation House, the official residence of the island’s Governor
The tortoise welcomed the future Queen Elizabeth II, as well as George VI and the Queen Mother, to the British overseas territory of St Helena in 1947, pictured
Given he had more time on this earth than most, Jonathan still lived a high-octane life, meeting some of the world’s most famous people and enjoying his sun-soaked home.
The tortoise welcomed the future Queen Elizabeth II, as well as George VI and the Queen Mother, to the British overseas territory of St Helena in 1947.
He will also amble into the next life with memories of meeting the late Duke of Edinburgh and more recently House of Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle, when he was awarded a Guinness World Record certificate recognising him as the oldest known land animal in the world.
What was Jonathan’s secret? Well, his vet reported that he kept healthy and very happy throughout his life despite losing his sight and sense of smell.
No one can be sure of the tortoise’s real age but he was lucky enough to have his photograph taken all the way back in 1882, at which point he was clearly already fully grown suggesting he was around 50 at the time.
Jonathan was brought to St Helena from the Seychelles around this point and lived on the grounds of Plantation House, the official residence of the island’s Governor.
At just 47 square miles, St Helena is a third of the size of the Isle of Wight and around the same size as Disney World Orlando.
Its nearest landmass is Ascension Island, which is 807 miles to the north west.
In 1957, Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, fed Jonathan – then 125 – during a trip to St Helena.
He continued to make the headlines over the next half a century and following the death of Darwin’s beloved Harriet, a 175-year-old giant Galapagos Land tortoise, in 2005 in Australia, Jonathan was recognised as the world’s oldest living land animal.
But fears started mounting that he was letting himself go when he was around 184 in the mid-2010s.
In response, he turned over a new leaf and allowed his vet to give him his first ever bath.
The current Duke of Edinburgh encountered the world’s oldest living land animal back in 2024, crouching down to meet Jonathan as the tortoise stretched his neck to take a closer look
His vet Joe Hollins, pictured left, confirmed that almost two centuries – and eight British monarchs – after his birth, Jonathan has passed away peacefully on St Helena
He came out of his shell after centuries of grime were painstakingly scrubbed off his back with a loofah, soft brush and surgical soap.
The vet carefully scrubbed each of the segments of Jonathan’s shell, known as scutes, and removed black sludge and bird droppings while the tortoise sedately chewed on grass.
Around the same time, he was also placed on a special high calorie diet as it was feared his health was on the wane.
The current Duke of Edinburgh encountered the world’s oldest living land animal back in 2024, crouching down to meet Jonathan as the tortoise stretched his neck to take a closer look at the visiting royal on the remote South Atlantic island.
