According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), Global have an average life expectancy of 73.4 years. I think most would be infinitely grateful to make it to 70 in good health. But can you imagine if someone could live twice as long?
In history there is no record of a single human being reaching the age of 150. However, when we talk about the age of the animals, we find some that far exceeded the life expectancy of their species.
The longest-lived tortoise in history.
Adwaita’s story began sometime in the 1700s, when she was captured in the Seychelles. Subsequently, British General Robert Clive of the British East India Company received it as a gift. The soldier kept Adwaita as a pet until 1875, when she was donated to The Zoological Garden, Alipore.
The animal lived in this zoo in Kolkata for more than 125 years, until it died of natural causes in 2006. After the turtle’s death, scientists analyzed Adwaita’s shell to estimate its age. That’s how they discovered that he lived to be 250 years old, a record that’s hard to break despite the turtles’ reputation for living a long time.
The goldfish that lived 45 years.
The small fish we see in aquariums have relatively short lives. Although the goldfish can survive for up to 6 years with essential care, and between 12 to 25 years under special care. However, no other goldfish took longevity as seriously as Goldie.
Surviving an incredible 45 years, Pauline Evans’ mother received it as an award in 1960. When the Evans couple passed away in the late 1990s, Pauline inherited Goldie and continued to care for him until her death in 2005. Goldie became the longest-lived goldfish in history after surpassing Tish, who died at the age of 43.
Since the ages of these animals could not be verified, none achieved the official title of the Guinness World Records.
The longest-lived cat.
The average lifespan of a domestic cat is 12 years. However, it is not difficult to find cases of specimens that exceed 20 years of age with ease. Such is the case of Tiffany Two (pictured), who lived to be a whopping 27 years old. However, there is a record of another female holding the title of the longest-lived cat in history after living 38 years.
Her name was Cream Puff and she lived in Austin, Texas, under the care of Jake Perry and the company of another cat named Granpa. In fact, Granpa took the title of the world’s oldest cat by dying at the age of 34, but Cream Puff would end up breaking his partner’s record. Because these long-lived animals belonged to the same person, it is believed that the cats’ diet contributed to their living for so long. Perry used to feed them bacon, eggs, asparagus, and broccoli.
The oldest elephant ever recorded.
On average, an elephant’s lifespan spans 50 years. However, Lin Wang lived for 86 years before he died in 2003.
The history of this elephant dates back to 1943, when the Chinese Expeditionary Force captured it in a Japanese field and used it to transport supplies and large artillery pieces in the framework of the Second Sino-Japanese War.
In 1952, Wang arrived at the Taipei Zoo to live with a female elephant named Malan. Over time, he became the biggest tourist attraction in the area, and visitors began to nickname him “Grandpa Lin Wang.” The animal’s funeral turned into a two-week spectacle that attracted tens of thousands of visitors.
The longest-lived dog in history.
Like cats, dogs have an average life expectancy of 12 years. And, although it is not usual, there are known cases of dogs that lived more than 20 years. However, the internet abounds with unconfirmed accounts of people claiming to have the same dog as a pet for more than a quarter of a century.
Max’s case is exceptional, as this dog lived 29 years and 282 days. Max (a cross between a Beagle, Daschund and Terrier) was born in 1983 and adopted shortly after by his owner: Janelle DeRouen. Veterinary records from the time confirm the dog’s age, so officially Max is the longest-living dog in history.
The longest-lived horse so far.
Depending on the breed, horses live between 20 and 25 years. But, there was a horse named Billy that far exceeded the life expectancy of his species. He was born in 1760 and lived for 62 years. If we compare the longevity of this animal to a human being, we would have a person alive for more than 150 years.
The most impressive thing is that Billy was not a spoiled animal, as he was used as a pack horse for much of his life. As he grew older, his back ended up arched and bones began to show in his skin.
Billy the horse became so popular that a local artist named W. Taylor immortalized him in a painting. After his death, the owners split the animal’s skull into two sections. One was taxidermized and the other was left clean. One of these parts is on permanent display at the Manchester Museum, while the other ended up at The Higgins Bedford art gallery, both establishments in the United Kingdom.
The oldest animal known to man.
Ming lived no less than 507 years, a journey through this world as long as it was banal. The most incredible thing is that, if they hadn’t discovered it, it would still be aging. Since it was impossible to determine Ming’s age without opening his shell, the researchers practically killed him to find that they were looking at (probably) the oldest animal on the planet.
The positive aspect about the death of this mollusk is that it allowed us to study the temperature changes in the ocean over the last 500 years. Perhaps they can also discover the secret to their longevity.