Happy Birthday Harriet

[Old Croc]

Harriet, the Galapagos Giant Tortoise turns 175 today! She is believed to be the oldest living creature on Earth.

Harriet, which was first taken from her home on the Galapagos Islands, off South America, by English naturalist Charles Darwin, is now the subject of a book about her amazing life.

Harriet was hatched in 1830. Five years later, she and two other tortoises were collected by Darwin and taken to England aboard his ship, HMS Beagle.

The three, then named Tom, Dick and Harry, were cared for by Darwin, but five years of freezing English winters and a lack of sunshine reduced them to a state of virtual hibernation and they were brought to Australia in 1842.

Dick died in the late 1880s and Tom in 1949.

In 1960, a visiting director of Hawaii's Honolulu Zoo examined Harry and found he was a she, a move that prompted the name Harriet. She now lives at Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo.

Harriet will celebrate her 175th birthday with a party at the zoo on November 15.

(Harriet is believed to have recuperated from the harsh English winters on Thailands Patong beach during her voyage to Australia )

[Jai Dee]

(Harriet is believed to have recuperated from the harsh English winters on Thailands Patong beach during her voyage to Australia  )

Nice story Old Croc... and I'm pleased to see that it's Thailand-related...

Errr... any references to support that?

[awarrumbungle]

The man that described evolution for the first time got his tortoise's sex wrong!! Thats kinda funny

[Neeranam]

Happy birthday!

The man that described evolution for the first time got his tortoise's sex wrong!! Thats kinda funny

He was also wrong about a lot of other things.

[sriracha john]

For such an old broad, she's looking pretty good in shape...

Happy Birthday.

[Old Croc]

RIP HARRIET

Harriet has died of a suspected heart attack at her home on Australias Sunshine Coast.

Reputedly the world's oldest living creature she will be sorely missed.

[tourleadersi]

I reckon my Gran's gonna give Harriet a run for her money. She just turned 90 and is still flying around her hometown like a mossie in an abattoir.

[Sing_Sling]

RIP HARRIET

Harriet has died of a suspected heart attack at her home on Australias Sunshine Coast.

Reputedly the world's oldest living creature she will be sorely missed.

Huh? All in the space of a day?

[smartecosse]

the first posts are from nov

[Sing_Sling]

the first posts are from nov

Oh. Apologies. RiP, dear Harriet.

[britmaveric]

Well lived to an old age - sure Harriet made the best of her years.