It is not possible to know exactly how Jonathan experiences these interactions internally.
However, his observable behavior suggests that familiar auditory signals have become meaningful parts of his routine.
This illustrates the adaptability of animals experiencing sensory decline.
When one sensory system becomes less effective, an animal may rely more heavily on other available information.
Jonathan's familiar surroundings also likely help reduce the challenges created by his poor vision.
He has lived within the same general grounds for an exceptionally long time.
A stable environment can make movement and feeding easier for an animal with sensory limitations.
But his continued well-being also depends on human assistance.
His caregivers provide supplemental food and monitor his condition.
Without such support, severe vision and smell loss could make it difficult for him to obtain adequate nutrition.
His story is therefore not simply one of biological longevity.
It is also a story of attentive animal care.
The Caregivers Who Helped Him Reach This Extraordinary Age
Jonathan's survival has attracted international attention, but the people who care for him are an essential part of the story.
His longevity is remarkable in its own right.
Yet his continued health in advanced age has been supported by veterinary monitoring, suitable surroundings, and nutritional assistance.
One of the most significant figures in his later life has been veterinarian Joe Hollins.
Hollins has spoken publicly about Jonathan's condition, habits, and remarkable resilience.
In an October 2026 interview with Guinness World Records, Hollins recalled that when he began caring for Jonathan in 2009, the tortoise was in poor physical condition.
He described an animal that had become severely underweight and was struggling to locate food because of impaired vision and smell.
The situation was serious.
At such an advanced age, malnutrition could have further weakened Jonathan and reduced his ability to maintain normal bodily functions.
His caregivers responded by providing carefully managed supplemental feeding.
Over time, Jonathan's condition improved.
The intervention demonstrates the importance of identifying the specific needs of elderly animals rather than assuming that reduced activity or weight loss is an unavoidable consequence of age.
It also highlights how veterinary care can improve welfare even when an animal has already lived far beyond the expected lifespan of its species.
According to the interview, Jonathan now benefits from a feeding schedule and an adapted enclosure that includes features designed to make daily activities easier.
His care is not about forcing him to live indefinitely.
It is about maintaining comfort, nutrition, and opportunities to express natural behavior.
That distinction is important.
Good animal welfare involves more than simply keeping an animal alive.
It requires attention to physical condition, behavior, environmental needs, and quality of life.
For Jonathan, those principles have helped support a peaceful old age.
A Surprisingly Healthy Appetite at Nearly 200
Although Jonathan has lost much of his ability to see and smell food, his appetite remains one of the most encouraging aspects of his health.
His caregivers provide a selection of vegetables and fruits to supplement his natural grazing.
Reported favorites include cabbage, cucumbers, carrots, lettuce hearts, apples, and bananas.
Bananas appear to be particularly appealing to him.
However, their soft and sticky texture can make feeding slightly complicated.
His caregivers have described how banana can sometimes become lodged against the roof of his mouth, requiring assistance.
This small detail gives Jonathan's story a wonderfully ordinary quality.
Here is an animal nearly two centuries old, famous around the world, whose caregivers still have to manage the practical difficulties of feeding him his favorite treats.
His supplemental diet is not merely a collection of enjoyable snacks.
It provides important calories and nutrients.
Because Jonathan's sensory limitations make locating food difficult, hand-feeding helps ensure that he receives adequate nourishment.
His veterinary team has emphasized the importance of vitamins, minerals, and trace elements.
These nutrients support normal physiological processes and overall health.
The exact dietary needs of a giant tortoise depend on species, age, health, and environmental conditions.
Consequently, Jonathan's feeding routine should not be copied indiscriminately for pet tortoises.
Fruit, for example, is not an appropriate staple food for many tortoise species.
His diet is supervised by people familiar with his individual requirements.
The broader lesson is that even exceptionally long-lived animals benefit from careful nutritional management.
Longevity does not eliminate the need for proper food.
If anything, advanced age can make consistent care more important.
Jonathan's continued enthusiasm for eating provides his caregivers with one useful indicator of his condition.
And it offers the rest of the world a charming reminder that the oldest known land animal still enjoys some of life's simplest pleasures.
Jonathan Is Not Alone: His Giant Tortoise Companions
Although Jonathan is the most famous resident of Plantation House, he does not live alone.
He shares the grounds with three other giant tortoises named David, Emma, and Frederik, also known as Fred.
These companions have their own histories and personalities.
David and Emma arrived on St Helena in 1969, the same year humans first walked on the Moon.
Frederik joined the group in 1991.
The age difference between Jonathan and his companions is astonishing.
By the time David and Emma arrived, Jonathan was already estimated to be approximately 137 years old.
When Frederik joined the group, Jonathan was approaching 160.
For most animals, such differences would represent many complete lifespans.
For giant tortoises, however, extended longevity makes overlapping generations possible in unusual ways.
Their social interactions provide another interesting dimension to Jonathan's life.
Tortoises are sometimes imagined as solitary, unresponsive animals.
In reality, their behavior can include courtship, competition, investigation, and responses to familiar individuals.
The nature and intensity of these interactions vary among species and circumstances.
Jonathan has been observed engaging in reproductive behavior even at his extraordinary age.
His caregivers have described his continued interest in other tortoises, an observation that has attracted considerable attention.
Such behavior does not prove that every aspect of his reproductive physiology remains unchanged.
Nevertheless, it demonstrates that advanced chronological age does not necessarily eliminate all behaviors associated with adult activity.
His companions also help make Plantation House a distinctive environment.
Visitors may encounter several enormous tortoises moving across the grounds, grazing, resting, or interacting.
Jonathan is the oldest, but the group as a whole represents a remarkable collection of long-lived reptiles.
Their presence reminds us that giant tortoises are living animals with individual needs and behavioral differences, not merely historical curiosities.
A National Treasure on St Helena
Jonathan's importance extends far beyond his biological age.
For the people of St Helena, he has become a cherished local figure.
His presence connects the island's modern community with its history.
He has lived at Plantation House for more than 140 years, making him one of the most enduring residents associated with the island.
Governors have changed.
Families have grown.
Generations of islanders have passed through childhood, adulthood, and old age.
Yet Jonathan has remained.
His image has become closely associated with St Helena's identity and tourism.