The Duke of Edinburgh met the world’s oldest living land animal - Jonathon the 191-year-old tortoise.
The prince crouched down with the 31 stone tortoise on a grassy hill as Jonathon stretched his neck to get a better look at the royal.
The greyish-brown tortoise has met with many other members of the Royal Family throughout his life including the late Queen Elizabeth II, the Queen Mother and King George VI in 1947 when he was 115 years old.
Ten years later, Jonathon also encountered the duke’s father, Prince Philip, who fed the tortoise during a trip to St. Helena in 1957.
Prince Edward meets the world's oldest land animal.
Reuters
The duke is expected to stay on the remote South Atlantic Island until January 26, spending a total of four days there.
Prince Edward’s visit to St. Helena follows from a two-day official tour of South Africa where the duke visited Pretoria and met with animal conservation groups.
Jonathon is a giant Seychelles tortoise and is estimated to have lived through 40 U.S. presidents and 31 governors of Saint Helena.
The tortoise was born before the invention of the light bulb and the telephone!
Jonathon the tortoise is estimated to be 191 years old.
Reuters
Although his exact birthdate is unknown, he was fully grown when he was gifted to the island’s governor in 1882, making experts suggest he was 50 years old at that time.
Edward is the first member of the Royal Family to visit the island since the Princess Royal travelled there 22 years ago in 2002.
Governor Nigel Phillips said: “This promises to be a special occasion, with a public holiday allowing the entire community to join this opportunity to celebrate all that is great about the culture and environment of this remarkable island.”
The duke is expected to undertake a series of engagements this week that celebrate the culture, people and biodiversity of the island and meet members of the community.
Jonathon has met five total members of the Royal Family including the late Queen.
Reuters
Latest Royal News:
Prince Edward is on a four-day visit to St. Helena.
Reuters
Jonathon spends his time slowly wandering around the grounds of St. Helena governor’s residence, Plantation House, with three other tortoises.
Jonathon’s caretaker, Joe Hillins, previously told The Washington Post that he takes “great delight in looking after him,” alongside other animals that live on the ten-mile-long island.
Hillins said: “It’s a huge responsibility, but an honor and a privilege for a vet to see to the needs of the oldest known living land animal in the world.”
Although there are likely to be sharks in the ocean that are older than Jonathon, Hollins had not heard of any other older land creature.
