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The estimated 185-year-old Jonathan the tortoise Youtube/StHelenaGovernment

At 185 years old, 'the world's oldest land animal' is about to get a lot busier

A new flight to the Atlantic island of St. Helena means Jonathan should expect some visitors.

HE IS A tourist attraction worth travelling a long way to see — Jonathan the giant tortoise is perhaps the world’s oldest land animal, living in pampered luxury on the remote British island of St. Helena.

Aged at least 185 — though no one knows for certain — Jonathan should prepare himself for an influx of visitors now that an airport has opened on the small island in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean.

The island’s most famous resident, Jonathan slowly roams the lush gardens of the governor’s house, eating carrots, lettuce, cucumber, apples and pears prepared in the governor’s kitchen.

He appears on the island’s five-pence coin, on immigration stamps, and in old black-and-white photographs alongside Boer War prisoners in the early 20th century.

“He is an institution, my V.I.P. — Very Important Patient,” said his vet Catherine Man, during her weekly check-up of Jonathan, who stretched out his long, wrinkled neck to eat some chopped carrot.

He knows our voices and is very gentle, but it can be a bit dangerous for my fingers when I feed him. He has a very set routine, he goes to the same places in the paddock at the same time each day.

Jonathan originates from the Seychelles but the circumstances of his arrival on St. Helena remain a mystery and the exact year is much disputed.

Some unconfirmed reports suggest 1882 — a few decades after Napoleon died in exile on the island on 1821.

St Helena Government / YouTube

Younger days

When younger and more agile, he was known for disrupting croquet matches on the governor’s lawn, and for going under tables at tea parties and upsetting the china.

Man, the only vet among the island’s 4,500 population, says he is now blind, has no sense of smell and is already far beyond his life expectancy of 150 years — but otherwise he is in good health with good hearing.

“Reptiles have a slow metabolism, they breathe slowly, they eat slowly, and live a long time,” she said.

“But perhaps his stress-free lifestyle here, and the clean air help explain his longevity.”

St. Helena, located in the Atlantic Ocean 1,900 km from the African mainland, is one of the most remote places on Earth.

Until now, the island’s only link to the outside world was by ship, but the new airport brings tourists on a weekly commercial flight from Johannesburg.

They will be able to visit Jonathan, viewing him and his three younger companions — Emma, David, Frederica — from a designated “corridor” to ensure the tortoises are left largely undisturbed.

Lisa Phillips, the governor of St. Helena, said that when she arrived to take up the post last year she went to meet Jonathan before she stepped inside the governor’s house.

“He loves company,” she said, even suggesting that venerable Jonathan is attracted to Emma, a mere youth at the age of 49.

“He still enjoys the ladies and I have heard him quite regularly in the paddock with Emma and he grunts.  have to keep an eye on him when he is doing that — it was not in the job description when I became governor.”

Inevitably, there has to be a plan for when Jonathan finally dies.

His obituary has already been prepared and his shell will be preserved for posterity.

Read: ‘Breathtaking hypocrisy’: Calls to ban hare coursing in light of animal ban in circuses >

Read: The use of wild animals will be banned in Irish circuses from January 2018 >

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    Mute Captain kirk
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    Jul 25th 2014, 7:25 AM

    I see a movie starring Tom Hanks in this

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    Mute Dermot Ryan
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:52 AM

    wait until Santy opens his post this year …. he’ll have to find a lot of land Poor Santy !
    poor Rudolph !

    8
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    Mute Daniel Wilson
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    Jul 25th 2014, 11:44 AM

    Dermot what the hell are you talking about?

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    Mute Dermot Ryan
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    Jul 26th 2014, 1:05 AM

    It’s a present – and what will every little girl want this Christmas ..their own country and who gets the job of delivering presents at Christmas ?

    7
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    Mute Ruth Rochester
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    Jul 25th 2014, 8:26 AM

    As a King he’s got the right idea, you work FOR your people for the betterment of all, neighbours included. Gets my support!!!

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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:52 AM

    I’m not entirely sure how many people he intends to feed with an area of only 800 square miles but, if it does get the funding to go ahead, it would certainly make a strong point.

    43
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    Mute Paul Parsons
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    Jul 25th 2014, 7:25 AM

    Dibs if he gets bored.

    194
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    Mute Shane Hickey
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    Jul 25th 2014, 8:20 AM

    I think he’s brilliant. Who would have believed there is still land on this planet that no-one owns or claims

    191
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    Mute Play Against Par
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    Jul 25th 2014, 8:52 AM

    He has to be from Cork! They think everything is theirs, biy!!

    123
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    Mute Steve M
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    Jul 25th 2014, 9:09 AM

    Reminds me of the time Smithers, Burns and Homer are flying in a plane, trying to find an island to start a new country on:

    Mr. Burns: Ohhh, there’s a big one! And it has freedom written all over it!
    Waylon Smithers: Sir… that’s Cuba.
    Mr. Burns: Cuba, eh? Take ‘er down, Smithers.
    Waylon Smithers: Uh, you’re flying the plane, sir.
    Mr. Burns: Excellent.

    182
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    Mute Conor Conneally
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    Jul 25th 2014, 9:01 AM

    A white guy going around bits of Africa claiming it for himself without consulting the locals. Didn’t that used to be called colonialism?

    168
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    Mute Leopold Dedalus
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    Jul 25th 2014, 9:19 AM

    Not if no one lives on that land

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    Mute Paul Furey
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    Jul 25th 2014, 9:58 AM

    Looks like the flag is the mightiest weapon. Stick it in the ground somewhere and thousands die.

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    Mute Dermot Ryan
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:51 AM

    is the moon safe Paul ?
    I get your point btw ;excellent !

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    Mute Damo
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    Jul 25th 2014, 7:22 AM

    Nutter.

    122
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    Mute neeneee
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    Jul 25th 2014, 8:09 AM

    I can’t believe I’ve just wasted 5mins of my break reading about,that head the ball

    46
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    Mute royston T justice
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    Jul 25th 2014, 9:47 AM

    ..I hope he has invested in his defences, I’m sure Sudan might want that land off him & “princess” some time in the future

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    Mute Boganity
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    Jul 25th 2014, 11:05 AM

    This story is so old it has whiskers, anonymous Journal writer have you been on leave for an extended period of time ?

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    Mute Jack Ripper
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    Jul 25th 2014, 9:22 AM

    Google Sealand. It is a hilarious story of a man who claimed a disused platform in the sea and declared it a country. He was even once overthrown but he managed to get it back again. He has his own passports and currency… and royal family.

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    Mute Paul Somers
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:13 AM

    Absolutely brilliant http://www.sealandgov.org/title-pack, excellent idea :)

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    Mute Jack Ripper
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    Jul 25th 2014, 12:51 PM

    I’d say their web server hosting service is far more lucrative ;-)

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    Mute Moira Connolly
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:28 AM

    The locals will wait until he irrigates the land and has crops growing, then they will claim it back.

    56
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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:43 AM

    There are no locals, it’s unclaimed because nobody lives there and until recently nobody wanted to live there.

    9
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    Mute Moira Connolly
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:52 AM

    But see how many come out of the woodwork if he makes the land viable

    43
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    Mute Pokey2013
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    Jul 25th 2014, 7:43 AM

    Harrison Ford was already in a movie like this, “The Mosquito Coast”.

    44
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    Mute ChocSaltyBallz
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    Jul 25th 2014, 8:45 AM

    Once the country gets on it’s feet he will be surprised how many people want his hard worked profitable land people will probably die and if he’s an American citizen anything could happen !

    41
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    Mute Claire Foster
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    Jul 25th 2014, 9:10 AM

    Islamic extremists will find him & kill him

    37
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    Mute John Stewart
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:08 AM

    @Claire will Christian extremists rob his oil?

    31
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    Mute Claire Foster
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:13 AM

    Couldn’t tell you … All I hear about is Islamic extremists that side of the world…

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    Mute John Stewart
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:16 AM

    Never heard of Iraq and the invisible WMDs?

    16
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    Mute Claire Foster
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:43 AM

    Can’t say that I have

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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:45 AM

    John, do you have to turn every article into a bash the US thread?

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    Mute Dermot Ryan
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:54 AM

    Jason he didn’t mention the U.S. …it was Britain that provided the W.M.D. evidence …..
    “The eye that sees only what it wants to is the blindest of them all !”
    Ching Zo ; Chinese Philosopher.

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    Mute John Stewart
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    Jul 25th 2014, 11:51 AM

    What happened to Dr.David Kelly?

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    Mute Patrick Varley
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    Jul 25th 2014, 7:30 AM

    This was on an episode of QI XL.

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    Mute jkcdub
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    Jul 25th 2014, 7:25 AM

    So what, I claimed planet Jupiter…

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    Mute Leigh Power
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    Jul 25th 2014, 7:30 AM

    You planted a flag on Jupiter?

    110
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    Mute Carlos Bandanas
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    Jul 25th 2014, 8:04 AM

    I claim Offaly. Nobody wants it anyway.

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    Mute neeneee
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    Jul 25th 2014, 11:05 AM

    @jkcdub I’d say a few people have claimed Uranus a few times :)

    34
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    Mute FlopFlipU
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    Jul 25th 2014, 8:30 AM

    He will go where no one else will go ,lovely if it works

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    Mute Kieran Monaghan
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    Jul 25th 2014, 9:17 AM

    Good luck to him..

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    Mute David Giles
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    Jul 25th 2014, 8:18 AM

    I wonder what the “subjects” of this so-called Kingdom have to say about this ?

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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:14 AM

    There aren’t any, only his family.

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    Mute Dec B
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    Jul 25th 2014, 11:47 AM

    Bir Tawil population: 0.

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    Mute Juan Venegas
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    Jul 25th 2014, 9:29 AM

    What a miserable comments from everyone who thinks is brilliant what this man is doing while on the other hand criticizes the Queen, and when asked why they say “I’m not against the British Royal family, I am against Royalty in general, people are not minions”

    If you are one of those who thinks he’s great while being against the British Crown, then, you are a miserable poor little brainwashed eejit with no brain of your own.

    I personally am against his idea of being a king as I am against ANY kind of Royalty. And he is worst, what a father example by making a spoil little girl a princess, future spoil brat in the making

    15
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    Mute Amy gaffney
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:01 AM

    Well it can’t be a democracy if he’s the only one voting! Sheesh calm down and take your blood pressure pills.

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    Mute Startled Sapien
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:37 AM

    Did you actually read the whole article? It may be a hair-brained idea but the guy has the best of intentions.

    What have you done recently to make the world a better place?

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    Mute Charlie Mountney
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:41 AM

    Totally right Juan. Fool off a man taking his daughter into an unstable region and then saying, Here I am. Bad father.

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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:49 AM

    Unstable region? It’s unclaimed because there’s nothing there. How can it be unstable if there’s nobody there to make it unstable?

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    Mute joehig100
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    Jul 25th 2014, 12:50 PM

    Send him a memo letting him know ireland has low corporate tax if he fancies doing a bit if outsourcing

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    Mute Captain Bumhum
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    Jul 25th 2014, 9:01 AM

    Heh heh! Fair balls!

    11
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    Mute John Bransfield
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    Jul 25th 2014, 12:15 PM

    ISIS must be kicking themselves they didn’t find it first.

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    Mute John Fairclough
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    Jul 25th 2014, 11:44 AM

    Does it have a Wetherspoons?

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    Mute Captain Bumhum
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:18 AM

    Didn’t some oul lad do something similar in Arklow a few years back?

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    Mute Ray
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:58 AM

    No crown no King.I don’t see a crown or cloak for that matter.

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    Mute Dismas Okello
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    Jul 25th 2014, 11:20 AM

    If it takes of and achieves nation status how long before it becomes another corrupt African Republic. I’d give it 2 generations.
    Headline news 2054
    “King Jeremiah Heaton III. Despot of North Sudan and his 28 child brides today welcomes King Obama V of the confederation of America to a barbecue of lightly grilled Egyptian served on a bed of Sudanese toenails”
    Oh I can see it all. The new Cecil Rhodes has set it all in motion.

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    Mute Dismas Okello
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    Jul 25th 2014, 11:25 AM

    Of course, if he was a king it wouldn’t be a republic.
    But sure that’s only semantics

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    Mute Bill
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    Jul 25th 2014, 8:17 AM

    Just a bit of a laugh

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    Mute Daniel Dunne
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    Jul 25th 2014, 12:04 PM

    Where is he going to get the money to do all this? Quantitative Easing?

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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Jul 25th 2014, 1:27 PM

    It says it in the article if you actually read the thing…

    6
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