Britain's oldest tortoise celebrates 130th birthday

[Evil Eye]

Thomas the tortoise has survived two World Wars, a blast from a German bomb during the Blitz, and 32 prime ministers.



Born when William Gladstone was in Downing Street and Queen Victoria was on the throne, the animal is now celebrating its 130th birthday.



The longevity of the Hermann’s tortoise is all the more remarkable as it had to be pulled from the rubble of a house during the Blitz in the Second World War, but went on to see in another seven decades and counting.



Owner June Le Gallez, 54, who cares for Thomas at her home on the Channel Island of Guernsey, said: Thomas is very much part of the family. I have pictures with her when I was as young as two.



Because she is so old we thought we would have lost her by now but she is tough. I sometimes wonder if she will outlive me. She's always been very big for her age.



Thomas used to live and run in the garden when she was younger but now we keep her in the house and she bumbles around.



She is just a massive part of the family and everyone is very fond of her.



She isn't slowing down with age. Most people can't believe how active she is.



She really races around when she wants to. She's really fast.



Thomas was thought to have been a male for the first 96 years of her life before June discovered she was female after inheriting her from her cousin Grace Hilditch in 1978.



Nursery worker Mrs Le Gallez added: When I inherited Thomas and I took him to the vets they told me Thomas was in fact a girl.



Some people suggested I renamed him Tomasina, but I thought it would be cruel to change her name after all those years.



Ms Hilditch was given Thomas in 1922 as a present from her father Harry, who was friends with a reptile keeper at London Zoo.



When they adopted the tortoise the keeper said she was 40 years old, putting her birth date at 1882.



Thomas lived with Grace for 56 years at her home in Ilford, Essex, which was bombed in 1945.



A warden managed to rescue the animal from the rubble and she was given to June and her husband Richard after Grace fell ill.



Mrs Le Gallez said: The journey from Essex to Guernsey with Thomas was a rather funny one.



Staff on the train asked me if I wanted anything to eat and drink and if Thomas wanted any lettuce leaves.



Thomas is kept company in the garden by fellow tortoises Gorky and Carstaias, who are both 50 years old, and her favourite food is bananas.



The oldest recorded tortoise in Britain was Timmy, a Mediterranean spur-thighed tortoise who was believed to be 160 years old when she died in 2004 at Powderham Castle, Devon.



David Alderton, Editor of Practical Reptile Keeping magazine said: Although many people have contacted us about tortoises over 50 years old, some of which they've had since childhood, we've only heard to date of two individuals who are more than 100 years old.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/new...ldest-tortoise-celebrates-130th-birthday.html





Tortoises: more-or-less immortal.