Jonathan was brought to Saint Helena from the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean in 1882, along with three other tortoises at about 50 years of age. He was named in the 1930s by Governor of Saint Helena Sir Spencer Davis. He continues to live on the grounds of Plantation House, the official residence of the governor, and is cared for by the government of Saint Helena. His age is estimated by the fact that he was 'fully mature' when brought to St Helena in 1882. 'Fully mature' means at least 50 years old, giving him a hatching date no later than 1832. A photograph featuring Jonathan originally thought to date from 1902 actually dates from 1886, showing Jonathan four years after his arrival on St Helena. Measurements taken from the photograph show that he was definitely fully mature in 1886. The all-time verified record holder for the world's oldest tortoise, according to Guinness World Records, is Tu'i Malila, which died in Tonga in 1965 at the age of 189. Adwaita, an Aldabra giant tortoise that died in 2006 in the Alipore Zoological Gardens of Kolkata, India, is believed to have lived to the age of 255 years, but this has not been confirmed. In February 2014, as part of the Queen's Baton Relay ahead of the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the baton visited Saint Helena and Governor Mark Capes, whilst holding the baton, posed for a photo alongside Jonathan in the grounds of Plantation House. BBC Radio featured Jonathan in an episode of From Our Own Correspondent in March 2014 after ocean rowerSally Kettle visited Saint Helena. The Saint Helena five-pence coin has Jonathan on its reverse. As of December 2015, Jonathan was reported to be "alive and well He's blind from cataracts, has lost his sense of smell, and so cannot detect food, but he has retained excellent hearing." In January 2016, the BBC reported that Jonathan was given a new diet intended to keep him healthy and extend his life. The sex of Frederika, one of two of his favorite female tortoises, was cast into doubt in 2017 when island veterinarian Catherine Man indicated that due to a shell deformity, her plastron could not be verified. Frederika has since been declared to be male.
