Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Seychelles President Dr. Patrick Herminie feed giant tortoises at the Seychelles National Botanical Garden in Victoria, Seychelles, on Saturday (June 27). Photo: X/@narendramodi
Did Modi meet 194-year-old giant tortoise in Seychelles? No, Jonathan has been in St Helena since 1882
Sharing images of his visit to the Seychelles National Botanical Garden, Modi said the Aldabra Giant Tortoise, which is native to Seychelles, is among the largest and longest-living species on Earth. However, he made no mention of the 194-year-old Jonathan
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a three-day official visit to Seychelles, on Saturday (June 27) visited the Seychelles National Botanical Garden, where he was seen feeding giant tortoises, but the 194-year-old Jonathan, recognised as the world's oldest living land animal, was not there.
Some reports in the Indian media claimed that Modi was seen feeding Jonathan. However, those reports are not correct.
What Modi said
Sharing images of his visit to the Seychelles National Botanical Garden in Seychelles capital, Victoria, Modi said the Aldabra Giant Tortoise, which is native to Seychelles, is among the largest and longest-living species on Earth. However, he made no mention of the 194-year-old Jonathan.
Also read: Modi feeds giant tortoises in Seychelles
“Visited the Giant Tortoise Enclosure at the Seychelles National Botanical Garden with President Dr. Patrick Herminie. The Aldabra Giant Tortoise, which is native to Seychelles, is among the largest and longest-living species on Earth, with some of them witnessing over two centuries of history.
“The Aldabra Giant Tortoise also have an association with the special friendship between India and Seychelles. In 2014, two of them were gifted to the Alipore Zoo in Kolkata. A few years later, Seychelles gifted a few more tortoises to Hyderabad Zoo,” Modi wrote.
Jonathan holds Guinness Record
Last week, Guinness World Records announced that Jonathan the tortoise is officially a “Guinness World Records ICON”.
According to Guinness World Records, Jonathan has been living on a remote South Atlantic island of St Helena, part of the British Overseas Territory. Travellers are flocking to see Jonathan.
“The oldest-known living terrestrial animal is Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea hololissa), originally from the Seychelles but now a long-time resident of the remote South Atlantic island of St Helena, where he is affectionately known as "Jono",” Guiness World Records said.
“He is believed to have been born c. 1832, thus making him at least 194 years old in 2026. His age has been reliably estimated from the fact that he was said to be "fully mature" (and hence at least 50 years old) when he was brought to the island in 1882,” it added.