Jonathan the 193-year-old tortoise latest to fall victim to celebrity death hoax

2 Apr 2026 • 10:14 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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  • Jonathan, the world's oldest living land animal, has been confirmed to be alive, dispelling widespread rumours of his death.
  • Reports of the 193-year-old Seychelles giant tortoise's demise circulated on April Fool's Day via a fraudulent X account.
  • The hoax post, falsely attributed to his vet Joe Hollins, garnered nearly two million views before being debunked.
  • St Helena's head of communications, Anne Dillon, confirmed the reports were a hoax, stating Jonathan is “very much alive”.
  • Mr Hollins later clarified he does not have an X account and warned the public that the false claims were part of a crypto donation scam.

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