Jonathan, the world’s oldest living land animal is a tortoise aged at 184 years. He received his first bath ever on Saturday, March 19th, from local veterinarian Dr. Joe Hollins, 58, at St. Helens, which is the animals home.
The tortoise was given the bath in preparation for a visit by a Royal visitor, whose identity is being kept under wraps for obvious reasons.
Born in 1832, you can probably imagine just how much dirt and grime the animal had lodged on its shell and body. Moreover, there were some signs of typical wear and tear all over the animal’s shell, although Hollins says the shell was in great condition for its age.
Hollins used a loofa, soft-bristled brush, and medical-grade soap to wash the animal, leaving its shell with a shiny appearance and the tortoise with a giant smile on its face.
"In the past Jonathan’s keepers had a rather laissez-faire attitude to the tortoises on St Helena and so this is probably his first wash in 184 years," Dr. Hollins said in a statement to The Telegraph. "He looks so much cleaner and he seemed to enjoy the whole experience."
Jonathan can stand up to 2 feet tall when staining up straight – shell and all. He’s also about 45 inches in length. The whole time during the bath, Hollins said the tortoise would just stand there completely still, almost as if the experience were soothing for the animal.
The hope is that the tortoise can continue to enjoy baths in the future, as 184 years is quite a long time to let the germs build up. After all, since Jonathan seemed to enjoy having the bath, it’s a nice gesture for him.
Source: The Telegraph
