An 176-year-old tortoise has died on June 23 in an Australian zoo. The giant tortoise, named Harriet, weighing 150 kgs, was believed to have been owned by none other than Charles Darwin, died of heart attack. She was recorded as the second-oldest tortoise by Guiness Book of World Records, the prized first-place belonging to Tui Malila, a Madagascar creature, who died in 1965 at an age of 188 years.
Now, this one punctures a 3-month old collective belief of ours, Kolkattans. When Adwita, the grand old tortoise brought from Aldebra Island in Indian Ocean died on March 22 this year in Calcutta Zoo, his age was pegged at about 250 years. No one knew his actual age, though it was believed that he was already 120 years old in 1875 when Calcutta Zoo became his permanent residence.
In fact Adwita resided at Barrackpore’s Latbagan from 1837 before moving to Calcutta Zoo. So even if he was only a few years old when he came to Latbagan, his age would still be nearing Harriet’s age, if not some years more. Pity he was not accorded a pride of place in Guiness Book of World Records. Nonetheless, we Kolkattans are happy that Adwita’s shell will be preserved with care at either Calcutta Zoo or Indian Museum.
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