Oldest Known Living Creature Dies in India

One of the world’s oldest creatures has died, a giant tortoise believed to be approximately 250 years old, died this week in the Alipore Zoological Garden in Calcutta, India. Addwaita, which translates to "the one and only" in the local Bengali language, was brought to India by British sailors in the 18th century. According to zoo officials, Addwaita has died of liver failure after being sick for about a week. Local Forest Minister Jogesh Burman said that zookeepers became concerned when they noticed that he was feeling unwell. "We were keeping a watch on him," Burman said. "When the zoo keepers went to his enclosure on Wednesday they found him dead."

Zoo officials say that Addwaita was one of four Aldabra tortoises brought to India as a gift for Lord Robert Clive of the East India Company before he returned to England in 1767. Clive was one of the government officials instrumental in establishing British colonial rule in India during the 18th century. Three of the tortoises died decades ago, but Addwaita continued to thrive, living on in Clive’s garden after he left for England. Addwaita was moved to the Calcutta zoo when it was opened in 1875, where he was placed into a small rocky enclosure where the public could see him.

At a christening ceremony last year to celebrate the official naming of Addwaita, zoo director Subir Choudhuri told reporters, "His needs are simple and he is quite happy eating wheat bran, carrot, lettuce, soaked gram, bread, grass, and salt. He is in good health without ever having to see a doctor in the last 29 years." According to Choudhuri, zoo documents prove that the age of the giant tortoise would be approximately 255 years. The world’s oldest documented living animal now is Harriet, a 176-year old Galapagos tortoise who lives at the Australia Zoo north of Brisbane. According to the zoo’s website, Harriet was taken from the island of Isla Santa Cruz by Charles Darwin in the 19th century.

Aldabra tortoises are native to the Aldabra atoll in the Seychelle Islands in the Indian Ocean. They often live to more than 100 years of age, and male tortoises can weigh up to 550 pounds.