Robert Irwin, the youngest child and famed zookeeper Steve Irwin, tweeted a selfie Tuesday that he took with his “self isolation buddy” during the coronavirus outbreak, a tortoise named Igloo.
“My self isolation buddy,” the 16-year-old captioned the post, which had racked up more than 800,000 likes as of Wednesday afternoon.
According to the website for the Australia Zoo, which is owned by the Irwins, Igloo is an Aldabra tortoise. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute says the species was "one of the first species to be protected to ensure its survival."
The viral post comes days after Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison urged people in the country to “stay at home unless it is absolutely necessary you go out” and to avoid large gatherings.
According to the latest Johns Hopkins University data, more than 4,800 cases of the virus have been reported in Australia as well as 20 deaths and more than 400 recoveries.
Last month, Bindi Irwin, the oldest child of Steve Irwin, also captured headlines after she managed to throw a wedding shortly before Australian officials issued restrictions for such events amid the ongoing pandemic, according to BuzzFeed News.
In an Instagram post at the time, Bindi Irwin said she had “planned this beautiful day for nearly a year and had to change everything, as we didn’t have guests at our wedding.”
“This was a very difficult decision but important to keep everyone safe. We wish all of our friends and family could have been there with us, however it’s lovely that we will be able to share photos and videos,” she said while urging others to stay safe and practice social distancing during the outbreak.
Tortoises are land-dwelling reptile species. While all the other turtle species are at least partly aquatic, tortoises spend all of their lives on land. Their size can vary from a few centimeters up to two meters but that’s not the most exciting thing about them. They are known to be the longest living land animal in the world and are known to live over 150 years. An Aldabra giant tortoise named Adwaita is known as the longest living tortoise, having lived 255 years.
“My self isolation buddy,” the 16-year-old captioned the post, which had racked up more than 800,000 likes as of Wednesday afternoon.
According to the website for the Australia Zoo, which is owned by the Irwins, Igloo is an Aldabra tortoise. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute says the species was "one of the first species to be protected to ensure its survival."
The viral post comes days after Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison urged people in the country to “stay at home unless it is absolutely necessary you go out” and to avoid large gatherings.
According to the latest Johns Hopkins University data, more than 4,800 cases of the virus have been reported in Australia as well as 20 deaths and more than 400 recoveries.
Last month, Bindi Irwin, the oldest child of Steve Irwin, also captured headlines after she managed to throw a wedding shortly before Australian officials issued restrictions for such events amid the ongoing pandemic, according to BuzzFeed News.
In an Instagram post at the time, Bindi Irwin said she had “planned this beautiful day for nearly a year and had to change everything, as we didn’t have guests at our wedding.”
“This was a very difficult decision but important to keep everyone safe. We wish all of our friends and family could have been there with us, however it’s lovely that we will be able to share photos and videos,” she said while urging others to stay safe and practice social distancing during the outbreak.
Tortoises are land-dwelling reptile species. While all the other turtle species are at least partly aquatic, tortoises spend all of their lives on land. Their size can vary from a few centimeters up to two meters but that’s not the most exciting thing about them. They are known to be the longest living land animal in the world and are known to live over 150 years. An Aldabra giant tortoise named Adwaita is known as the longest living tortoise, having lived 255 years.
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