Adwaita
Encyclopedia
Adwaita (c. 1750 – 23 March 2006) was the name of a male Aldabra giant tortoise
in the Alipore Zoological Gardens
of Kolkata
, India
. He was amongst the longest-living animals in the world.
of the British East India Company
, and had spent several years in his sprawling estate before he was brought to the zoo about 130 years ago." It is said that the Aldabra tortoise was a gift to Clive from the British seafarers who captured the tortoise from the Seychelles
Islands. Reports show that Clive had four such tortoises in his villa in Latbagan at Barrackpore
, in the suburbs of Kolkata. Three of the animals died, while Adwaita was transferred to the Alipore zoo in 1875 by Carl Louis Schwendler
, the founder of the zoo. Adwaita lived in his enclosure in the zoo until his death in 2006.
failure in March 2006.
by 67 years.
Aldabra Giant Tortoise
The Aldabra giant tortoise , from the islands of the Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles, is one of the largest tortoises in the world....
in the Alipore Zoological Gardens
Alipore Zoological Gardens
The Alipore Zoological Gardens is India's oldest formally stated zoological park and a big tourist attraction in Kolkata, West Bengal. It has been open as a zoo since 1876, and covers...
of Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He was amongst the longest-living animals in the world.
History
"Historical records show he was a pet of General Robert CliveRobert Clive, 1st Baron Clive
Major-General Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive, KB , also known as Clive of India, was a British officer who established the military and political supremacy of the East India Company in Bengal. He is credited with securing India, and the wealth that followed, for the British crown...
of the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
, and had spent several years in his sprawling estate before he was brought to the zoo about 130 years ago." It is said that the Aldabra tortoise was a gift to Clive from the British seafarers who captured the tortoise from the Seychelles
Seychelles
Seychelles , officially the Republic of Seychelles , is an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar....
Islands. Reports show that Clive had four such tortoises in his villa in Latbagan at Barrackpore
Barrackpore
Barrackpore or Barrackpur is headquarters of Barrackpore subdivision in North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. The town was a military and administrative center under British rule, and was the scene of several acts of rebellion against Britain during the 19th century...
, in the suburbs of Kolkata. Three of the animals died, while Adwaita was transferred to the Alipore zoo in 1875 by Carl Louis Schwendler
Carl Louis Schwendler
Carl Louis Schwendler was a German electrician and one of the first proponents of the Tungsten based incandescent light bulb. He also published an influential textbook on telegraphs, and worked in British India at a senior post in the Telegraph Department...
, the founder of the zoo. Adwaita lived in his enclosure in the zoo until his death in 2006.
Description
Weighing 250 kg (550 lb), Adwaita was a bachelor with no records of his progeny. He lived on a diet of wheat bran, carrots, lettuce, soaked gram, bread, grass and salt. His shell cracked and a wound developed some months before his death from liverLiver
The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...
failure in March 2006.
Age
The age of Adwaita is estimated to be around 255. If confirmed, this would make Adwaita the oldest tortoise of modern times, living longer than Harriet by 80 years, and Tu'i MalilaTu'i Malila
right|thumb|200px||A photo of the tortoise's preserved body, 2003.Tu'i Malila was a tortoise given to the royal family of Tonga by Captain James Cook. It was a radiated tortoise from Madagascar and is the second longest-lived tortoise whose age has been verified.The name means King Malila in the...
by 67 years.