Wow, 175 years old!
Posted on 02/12/2005 6:21:25 PM PST by Rebelbase
Certainly the oldest inhabitant in The Crocodile Hunter's Australia Zoo on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, and surely the oldest inhabitant on the Australian continent, Harriet is a giant Galapagos land tortoise, collected by Charles Darwin on his famous Voyage of the Beagle. With her date of birth calculated to 1830, she's well into her 18th decade now, although she has some way to go to surpass Darwin's gift of a tortoise to the King of Tonga that lived to 189!
Steve Irwin (TV's Crocodile Hunter) and his Zoo staff have cared for Harriet since 1987, prior to which she had been at Fleay's Fauna Sanctuary for 35 years. Indeed, it was there, in 1960, that it was discovered that she was a Harriet and not a Harry! Originally named after the Brisbane Botanical Gardens curator, Harry Oakman, "Harry" had been resident in the Gardens for nearly 100 years until 1952 (when the Gardens' zoo closed, Dr David Fleay stepped in to take over).
The giant tortoise had been brought to Australia by John Wickham - a former English naval office who had been with Darwin in South America - and when Wickham left for France in the 1860s, Harriet took up residence in the Brisbane Botanical Gardens.
Charles Darwin had brought Harriet and two of her sub-species back to England, in 1835, when she was five years old and about the size of a dinner plate. Checking against Darwin's records from 1834, Harriet is a Santiago tortoise (Geochelone nigra darwini). While she still ovulates annually, she hasn't seen another Galapagos tortoise for over 150 years (or more) - and the zoo hasn't been able to trace a male of her subs species. But she's not lonely, as she is a favourite of staff and visitors alike, and simply adores company.
With the hope that she will see in her 200th anniversary at least, why not wish her a happy birthday - if anyone deserves respect for living through a lot, it must be Harriet.
Wow, 175 years old!
God Bless Harriet! And God Bless us Everyone! Happy Birthday!
still looks good.
And to think, Harriett hasn't evolved at all in her nearly two centuries of existence. This despite the closest of associations with Darwin himself.
I'm guessing the cute girl is Bindi Sue...
Now THAT's amazing!
I have some spray paint left over. Do you have nice words to use with it?
"God Bless Harriet! And God Bless us Everyone! Happy Birthday!"
dittos!
Wow, average age 90 years old!
Around 1972, another couple, my ex-wife, and I chaperoned a Brownie Girl Scout troop field trip to the San Diego Zoo. It happened to be the day that the Galapagos turtles decided to mate. You could hear them all over the zoo. They grunt very loud, the shells make a very loud clunking sound, and it goes on forever. Of course, the girls wanted to see and had lots of questions. It was an interesting day with about twelve little girls including our daughters.
Hmmn, and they say exercise is good for you?? The tortoise and the hare race just got more interesting.
So, rapidly use up your body's allotted heart beats exercising you butt off, or, kick back on the couch with a slower heart rate, and live longer. Burp, makes sense to me.
What a cute turtle!
She voted Democrat in 2004 and will still be voting Democrat in 2104.
Democrat???
Thought for sure we'd see a picture of Helen Thomas in this thread.
Yes, she is a Democrat and cleaned up on Social Security!
lol
That's a pretty good looking turtle.
I'd go on a date with that turtle.
I could get her out of her shell.
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