Adwaita - world's oldest bachelor dies;) (ok so he was a tortoise!!!!)

Adwaita is an Aldabra tortoise whose name means `the one and only' in Bengali.

and it would be tough breaking that record (of being the 'one' and 'only')......

Advaita, the legendary tortoise died in Calcutta some time back.....

If he could have spoken, what tales he must have have told....with 250 years (it is suspected even more) in his life which spanned the centuries which have seen the most radical changes in history (he was a toddler when the French revolution and the American revolution occured, a teenager when sati was banned, middle aged by the time the Russian revolution occured, and must have been getting nostalgic by the time the Cold war ended!!!!) it must have been quite an exciting life. He must have been the wisest tortoise that lived!!!!

But then, i am told, that he wasnt too perturbed by the passage of events. he was a quiet herbivore who ate his food on time and slept when he wanted to!!!! and to top it all, he remained a bachelor all his life (maybe that why he lived so long;) lol)

He was brought from Seychelles to India as a present to Lord Clive....where he lived contently in the Lord's garden (he was one of four tortoises brought of whom only he survived)....he was later shifted to Alipore zoo in Calcutta (Kolkata), where he was the main attraction for so many years. He was unwell for some days prior to his death.....and it seems that he had a natural death....it must have seemed like forever coming!!!!!

below i am giving some media reports which reported his demise..... hey ol' guy we would all miss you.....:)




By BBC World


'Clive of India's' tortoise dies

A tortoise that once belonged to British colonial general Clive of India in the 18th Century has died in a zoo in Calcutta.

Adwaita, "the only one" in Bengali, was found dead by keepers in Alipore Zoo on Wednesday. His shell cracked some months ago and a wound had developed.
West Bengal officials said records showed Adwaita was at least 150 years old but other evidence pointed to 250.

The shell of Adwaita, an Aldabra tortoise, will now be carbon-dated.
Forestry minister in the West Bengal government, Jogesh Barman said: "Historical records show he was a pet of British general Robert Clive of the East India Company and had spent several years in his sprawling estate before he was brought to the zoo about 130 years ago."

Mr Barman said Adwaita was probably brought from the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean and presented to Clive, an increasing force in the East India Company's military hierarchy.


Aldabra tortoises are found in the four-island Aldabra atoll of the Seychelles, a UN World Heritage Site that now has about 152,000 giant tortoises.

They average about 120kg (265lbs) and are thought the longest-lived of all animals.

The BBC's Amitabha Bhattasali in Calcutta says Adwaita brought in many of the zoo's visitors and when he fell sick for the first time eight years ago with a leg infection a full medical board was instigated to treat him.

The director of the zoo, Subir Chowdhury, said Adwaita's shell would be preserved and kept there.

One zookeeper told the Reuters news agency: "This is a sad day for us. We will miss him very much."





By Cnews

Legendary tortoise dies in Calcutta

CALCUTTA, India (AP) - A giant tortoise thought to be one of the world's oldest creatures has died in a Calcutta zoo, ending a life that spanned much of modern Indian history.

Local lore said Adwaita, the Aldabra tortoise whose name means "the one and only" in the local Bengali language, was some 250 years old. That, however, would have made him much older than the world's oldest documented living animal: Harriet, a 176-year-old Galapagos tortoise who lives at the Australia Zoo north of Brisbane, according to the zoo's website.

She was taken from the island of Isla Santa Cruz by Charles Darwin in the 19th century.

Calcutta zoo officials, however, insist Adwaita was far older.

"According to records in the zoo, the age of the giant tortoise, Adwaita, who died on Wednesday, would be 250 years approximately," said zoo director Subir Chowdhury.

The zoo wants to carbon date his shell to determine exactly how old he was.
Adwaita arrived at the zoo in 1875. Zoo officials say he was one of four tortoises brought to India by British sailors from the Seychelle islands as a gift for Lord Robert Clive of the East India Company. Clive was instrumental in establishing British colonial rule in India, before he returned to England in 1767.

While the other three tortoises died, Adwaita reportedly thrived, living in Clive's garden before being moved to the zoo.

Aldabra tortoises come from the Aldabra atoll in the Seychelle islands in the Indian Ocean, and often live to more than 100 years of age. Males can weigh up to 250 kilograms.

According to local Forest Minister Jogesh Burman, Adwaita, the zoo's biggest attraction, had been unwell for the last few days.

"We were keeping a watch on him. When the zoo keepers went to his enclosure on Wednesday they found him dead," Burman said.