Tired of staying indoors as the flowers bloom outside? We thought so.
Here is a list of 5 living things that are the oldest among them. Have your travel pack ready, and go pay a visit to these amazing beings when the pandemic subsides!
- Oldest Wild Bird – Around 68 Years Old
Aptly named Wisdom, this Laysan Albatross has been banded since 1956. For the last six decades, Wisdom has flied 3 million miles. That means that she could have flown to the Moon and back 6 times.
Where To See Her: In between her pan-pacific flights, Wisdom takes rests in the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refugee, located in the Northern end of the Hawaiian islands.
- Oldest Land Animal – Around 187 Years Old
Jonanthan is only topped by Napoleon in the short list of famous celebrities of Saint Helena.point 384 |
The giant tortoise hatched around 1832 in the islands of Seychelles, before it was moved to Saint Helena as a gift to the governor in 1882.point 114 | To put this in perspective, he was born during the presidency of Andrew Jackson.point 181 | Donald Trump is the 39th American presidency for Jonathan.point 231 | 1
Where to See Him: Saint Helena island, located in the South Atlantic Ocean. Jonathan often freely roams in the island governor’s porch.
- Oldest Blooming Rose – Around 1,200 Years
Affectionately called the ‘Thousand Year Rose’, this rose bush is thought to be planted back in 815 by King Louis the Pious, son of Charlemagne.point 409 |
Even when allied bombing destroyed the cathedral, the rose somehow persevered.point 68 | It currently reaches almost 30 feet into the sky on the walls of the restored cathedral.point 141 | 1
Where to See: The walls of the Hildesheim Cathedral, Germany. It is know to be most beautiful around early June.
- Oldest Planted Tree – Around 2,300 Years
The famous tree where Siddhartha Gautama was known to reach enlightenment and became Buddha has been gone without trace. However, some of its saplings had been planted in Buddhist lands. The oldest of those saplings was planted in Sri Lanka around 250 BCE.
Where to See: Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi Temple, Sri Lanka. Many buddhists go on a pilgrimage to the temple, especially on nights with a full moon.
- Oldest Animal – Around 15,000 Years
Anoxycalyx joubini is the scientific name for the massive volcanic sponges you see in the pictures.point 363 |
Scientists estimated the age by extrapolating the years it would have taken the sponge to grow such sizes.point 89 | They are just one of the many strange residents in the depths of the Antarctic.point 154 | 1
Where to See: On scuba diving trips in Antarctica. While admittedly not for everyone, dedicated scuba divers can join programs to venture into the least polluted oceans remaining on this planet.
While all of them are in far to reach places, they are not impossible to visit. Which of these things intrigues you the most? Share with us your thoughts in the comments, and be sure to follow us on Facebook for more interesting articles like this one.
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