A local zoology enthusiast has described a giant tortoise that lives at the Mong Reththy Sen Chey Zoo in Kampong Speu province as the oldest, heaviest tortoise in the Kingdom.

The large reptile has been attracting a lot of attention from the public lately, he added.

Leang Thy, wildlife caretaker, trainer, and breeder at the zoo, said that the male tortoise weighs nearly 80 kilogrammes and is over 100 year old.

The nameless giant was gifted to the zoo just over three years ago.

Thy, who has more than ten years experience, told The Post that “This tortoise is a type of mountain tortoise. Based on the records of other wildlife he discovered, it can live for up to 350 years. This particular specimen is estimated to be over 100 years old.”

The conclusion about its age is based on the state of its shell, which is decayed and cracked, a condition distinct from younger tortoises, he explained.

“Because the way its shell has deteriorated in a way that is very different from a 10 or 20-year-old individual, we estimate it is over 100 years old. We once measured its weight and it was nearly 80 kilogrammes,” he added. 

Because tortoises are land-based – as opposed to their cousins, the turtle family – the tortoise can only submerge itself in water up to its stomach; if it goes deeper, it could drown.

The tortoise is kept in an open grassland area within the zoo, unlike the over 30 other species, which are kept in enclosures. Among the various wildlife that can be found at the facility, the nameless reptile has garnered a lot of interest from tourists, none of whom has seen such a large example in the Kingdom.

Visitors often take photos with the tortoise and post them on social media. Some even touch, pat or feed it.

This species is very docile and easy to care for. It eats common tortoise food, such as spinach, lettuce, carrots, bananas, beans and natural grasses. In the hot season, it likes to lay in the shade under the coconut trees, in shallow water. After soaking, it gets up and returns to its normal activities, according to Thy.

"There are 32 species of wildlife animals here, both local and from abroad. In Cambodia, I think this is the biggest tortoise. I haven't seen a bigger one anywhere else. I follow a lot of social media, like Facebook, and I haven't seen any bigger tortoises. Examples this size are only found in other countries,” he claimed.

He added that the tortoise is in good health and has never been sick, even after eating food given to it by visitors. It seems to have a strong immune system against infections. In fact, it even once ate a poisonous mushroom, which is dangerous to humans.

“When it rains, these mushrooms grow, and we didn't notice it had eaten one. I was worried, but after observing it for three to five days, there were no symptoms of poison. I think it has a strong tolerance against the toxins in the mushroom. The mushroom is poisonous, so why wasn't the tortoise affected? If a person ate it, they might die,” he said.

“Visitors are very interested in this tortoise because they have never seen one so big. Some older people have superstitions about tortoises because they live long lives, so they believe that caring for a tortoise can bring longevity,” he added.

An officer from a conservation organisation stated that the example at the zoo is a Galapagos giant tortoise (Chelonoidis niger), a species brought from abroad.

These tortoises can weigh over 400 kilogrammes and live for 100 years in the wild, but in captivity, they can live even longer. They are listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List.