Can you imagine going a year without bathing? What about more than a century?
The world's oldest known living animal, a 184-year-old tortoise named Jonathan, got its first-ever recorded bath on Saturday. It took place on the island of St. Helena, located in the South Atlantic Ocean, at the home of the governor.
A Giant Tortoise's life expectancy is about 150 years.
The veterinarian who bathed Jonathan, Dr. Joe Hollins, says he decided to do the historic cleaning after seeing the transformation bathing made to the shell of another Plantation House tortoise.
Hollins said the process, which includes gentle, circular scrubbing with non-abrasive materials, "is purely for aesthetic reasons."
"We want visitors and tourists on the Island to witness the tortoises in their true form, without the obstruction of moss and lichen on their shells," Hollins said in a press release. "There is so much interest in Jonathan, St Helena’s most famous animal resident, and we want all who visit him to see him at his best.”
The St. Helena government says Dr. Hollins and Jonathan have built a close relationship over the past few years through hand-feeding.
“As a vet, it has been an honour having Jonathan under my care, looking after the oldest known animal in the world," Hollins said. "I love animals and caring for Jonathan and his fellow tortoises at Plantation House has been a unique experience in my career.”
