With some animals still alive from back when Christopher Columbus sailed the globe, there is no scarcity of aged creatures on the planet, together with the oldest tortoise on Earth. Ranging from certainly one of the must-visit bucket-list destinations in the world, the Galápagos Islands, this historical tortoise’s journey reads like a who’s who of pure science historical past.




Harriet managed to do one thing that sounds just like the setup to a fairly wild joke – she had each wildlife icons, Charles Darwin and Steve Irwin, as house owners! Think about having your first residence tour guided by the daddy of evolution, solely to have your retirement occasion hosted by the Crocodile Hunter himself.

Whereas most creatures are fortunate to stay for 20 years, Harriet casually strolled by 175 of them, munching on leaves and turning into fairly the movie star alongside the best way.

Between serving to encourage the speculation of evolution and turning into probably the most well-known tortoise at Australia’s most well-known zoo, it is protected to say she lived life within the sluggish lane however made it rely!

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Harriet Confused Scientists About Her Gender For Over A Century

The World’s Oldest Tortoise Stored Everybody Guessing For Over A Century


Some nightmare-fuel creatures haven’t evolved in 300 years, however a single turtle lived greater than half of that unchanged. The yr was 1835, and a younger Charles Darwin was island-hopping across the Galápagos, accumulating specimens and making historical past.

Amongst his finds was a tiny tortoise he named Harry – as a result of apparently, checking beneath the shell wasn’t a part of the scientific technique again then. It took 125 years and a visiting keeper from Honolulu Zoo in 1960 to lastly level out that this gentleman was, actually, a woman. Some plot twists simply take their time!

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The Large Tortoise Embarked On An Epic Journey Between Continents

The World’s Oldest Tortoise Traded British Tea For Australian Sunshine

The Galápagos Islands are certainly one of many dream destinations where visitors can get up close and personal with wildlife, however Harriet’s journey to England took her away from all that.

After dwelling the excessive life in England, Harriet launched into her subsequent nice journey in 1841, becoming a member of John Clements Wickham on a journey to Australia.


Together with her tortoise companions Tom and Dick (Darwin actually did have a theme going with names), she discovered herself buying and selling the gloomy British climate for the sunny shores of Queensland.

Whereas Dick sadly did not survive lengthy after arrival, Tom caught round till 1929, making the dynamic duo the unique energy couple of the Brisbane Botanic Gardens.

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Fashionable Science Disrupted The Well-known Darwin Connection

DNA Testing Revealed The World’s Oldest Tortoise’s True Origins

Some ancient mysteries will never be solved, however Harriet’s origin story was corrected due to science. In 1998, DNA testing dropped a bombshell that may have made Darwin spill his tea: the world’s oldest tortoise really hailed from Santa Cruz Island, a Galápagos location the well-known naturalist had by no means visited.


The exams revealed her as a member of the Geochelone nigra porteri subspecies, exclusive to Santa Cruz. This discovery led to wild theories about her true origins, together with the chance that she hitched a experience with native islanders or was picked up by artful whalers.

The revelation sparked heated debates amongst historians and scientists, although Harriet remained characteristically unfazed by all of the fuss about her household tree.

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Australia Zoo Turned Dwelling To The Well-known Centenarian

The World’s Oldest Tortoise Charmed Guests At Her New Dwelling

In 1987, Harriet discovered herself upgrading to probably the most well-known animal residence in Australia – the Australia Zoo.

Under the care of the Irwin family, she remodeled from a historic curiosity right into a bonafide movie star, full with annual birthday bashes that may put most retirement events to disgrace.


Every celebration featured custom-made vegetable desserts and hordes of admirers singing to the world’s oldest tortoise. The Irwin household handled her like royalty, with Steve typically bragging about her unbelievable connection to Darwin.

Her each day routine grew to become a must-see attraction, with guests marveling at her wholesome urge for food and surprisingly spritely demeanor for somebody sufficiently old to recollect the invention of the phone.

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Harriet Left An Unbelievable Legacy In The Pure World

The World’s Oldest Tortoise Linked Three Centuries Of Historical past


When Harriet took her final bow in 2006, she left behind extra than simply an empty enclosure – she left a legacy that spanned three centuries of scientific discovery.

From her early days as Darwin’s misidentified specimen to her closing years as Australia’s most senior movie star, she witnessed the transformation of pure historical past from Victorian-era curiosity to trendy science.

Harriet, the oldest tortoise in the world, allegedly owned by Charles Darwin, plus Steve Irwin
Fritz Geller-GrimmCC BY-SA 2.5, through Wikimedia Commons

Harriet, the oldest tortoise on the planet, allegedly owned by Charles Darwin, plus Steve Irwin

The world’s oldest tortoise survived numerous historic occasions, outlived most nations’ constitutions, and managed to maintain her movie star standing effectively into her 170s. Even gone, she is going to by no means be forgotten.

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Harriet defied beliefs and lived for 175 years, leaving a long-lasting legacy within the animal world, cherished by not solely her well-known house owners, Charles Darwin and Steve Irwin, however by anybody who met her.




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