| Species | Aldabra giant tortoise |
|---|---|
| Sex | Male |
| Hatched | c. 1750-1826 Aldabra Atoll |
| Died | (2006-03-22)22 March 2006 Aged 180-255 Alipore Zoological Gardens,Kolkata, India |
| Weight | 250 kg (551 lb) |
Adwaita (fromअद्वैत, meaning "one and only" inSanskrit) (c. 1750 – 22 March 2006), also spelledAdwaitya[1][2] orAddwaita,[3] was a maleAldabra giant tortoise that lived in theAlipore Zoological Gardens ofKolkata, India. At the time of his death in 2006, Adwaita was believed to be amongst thelongest-living animals in the world.
The animal is claimed to have been one of four tortoises that lived atRobert Clive's estate atBarrackpore, in the northern suburbs of Calcutta.[4] Clive was said to have received the tortoises following his victory at theBattle of Plassey in 1757,[5] although this story is unsubstantiated.
Adwaita was transferred to theAlipore Zoo inCalcutta in 1875 or 1876 byCarl Louis Schwendler, the founder of the zoo.[6] Adwaita lived in his enclosure in the zoo until his death on 22 March 2006 at an estimated age of 255.
Weighing 250 kg (551 lb), Adwaita was a solitary animal with no records of his progeny. He lived on a diet of wheatbran, carrots, lettuce, soaked gram (chickpea), bread, grass and salt.[5]
His shell cracked in late 2005, and a wound developed in the flesh underneath the crack. The wound became infected and eventually led to his death fromliver failure on 22 March 2006. Adwaita is claimed to have been 255 years old at the time of his death, although this claim is unsubstantiated.[4] If Adwaita's claimed age were true, he would be the oldest known tortoise. OutlivingHarriet by 80 years,Tu'i Malila by 67 years, and making him 63 years older than the current record holderJonathan.
