World's oldest living animal, 184-year-old tortoise named Jonathan, has first ever bath

 Jonathan the tortoise from St Helena is 184 years old

23 MARCH 2016 • 9:44AM

A giant tortoise living on the British outpost of St Helena is given a clean-up ahead of Royal visit.

The world's oldest living animal, a 184-year-old giant tortoise, has had its first ever bath.

Jonathan, a giant tortoise living on St Helena, was cleaned up by the island's vet in preparation for an upcoming Royal visit.

Almost two centuries' worth of grime was scrubbed off its back using a loofah, soft brush and surgical soap.

Dr Joe Hollins, the vet for the tiny British outpost island in the south Atlantic, scrubbed each of the segments of Jonathan's shell, known as scutes, and removed black sludge and bird droppings while the tortoise sedately chewed on grass.

Surgical soap was chosen as it is not caustic and the soft brushes and loofah were gently used so not to damage its shell.

It was only after Jonathan's bath it was realised the rings on its shell, which usually tell a tortoises' age, have completely worn away.

There was no medical reason for the hour-long clean-up but it was done ahead of a visit by a member of the Royal family to the tiny island of St Helena in May for the dedication of the new airport.

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