A tortoise named Adwaita lived to approximately 250 years old. To put it into perspective, he was likely born before the United States declared independence, and his death was announced on CNN in 2006.
The Tortoise Who Outlived the American Revolution
When Adwaita hatched from his egg around 1750, the world was unrecognizable. The American colonies were still British. Marie Antoinette hadn't been born yet. And the French Revolution was nearly four decades away.
By the time he died in March 2006, CNN was broadcasting the news of his passing to a global audience watching on flat-screen televisions.
A Gift Fit for a General
Adwaita was an Aldabra giant tortoise, a species native to the Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles. According to historical accounts, British sailors captured him along with three other tortoises and presented them as gifts to Robert Clive of the British East India Company—the man who would help establish British colonial rule in India.
After spending time in Clive's estate, Adwaita eventually found his way to the Alipore Zoological Gardens in Kolkata, India, around 1875. He would spend the next 131 years there, becoming the zoo's most beloved resident.
How Do We Know His Age?
Pinning down the exact age of a centuries-old tortoise isn't straightforward. The estimate of approximately 250 years comes from:
- Historical records tracing his journey from the Seychelles to Robert Clive's possession
- Carbon dating of his shell conducted after his death
- Zoo documentation recording his arrival at Alipore in the 1870s
While some sources claimed he reached 255 years, the scientific consensus puts his age closer to 250—still making him one of the oldest verified animals in recorded history.
The World Adwaita Witnessed
Consider what changed during his lifetime. When Adwaita was young, humans traveled by horse and sailing ship. By the time he died, we had sent robots to Mars.
He outlived empires. The British Raj that brought him to India rose and fell. The Soviet Union came and went. Two world wars reshaped the planet.
Throughout it all, Adwaita just kept eating leafy greens and taking things slow—which, as it turns out, might be the secret to longevity.
Why Tortoises Live So Long
Giant tortoises like Adwaita possess several biological advantages that contribute to their remarkable lifespans. Their slow metabolisms mean less oxidative stress on their cells. They continue growing throughout their lives, and their organs don't deteriorate the way mammalian organs do.
Scientists studying tortoise DNA have found that they possess extra copies of genes that suppress tumors and repair damaged DNA. In essence, evolution equipped them with built-in anti-aging mechanisms.
A Living Time Capsule
When Adwaita finally passed away from liver failure on March 22, 2006, the Alipore Zoo lost more than an animal. They lost a living connection to a world that no longer existed.
His shell now rests in the zoo's museum—a reminder that while empires crumble and technologies transform, some creatures just keep plodding along, one slow step at a time.