It was a hoax: Jonathan, the world’s oldest tortoise, is still alive and well

Jonathan the tortoise, believed to be the world’s oldest living land animal, is still among us at 193 years old, contrary to a false and possibly deceptive social media post and a wave of media outlets mistakenly reporting his death.

On Wednesday, an X account claiming to be Joe Hollins, the vet caring for Jonathan, published a post claiming the giant tortoise had died.

But after this post received attention as reported by the media, The Guardian It has been flagged as a scam. The British publication reported that the X account originated in Brazil, rather than on the South Atlantic island of St. Helena, where both Jonathan and Hollins reside.

said the real Joe Hollins USA Today That Jonathan is “very much alive.” Hollins said there appeared to be an underlying motive for the position. “I think in

CNET has not seen the request for cryptocurrency donations. If this is in fact a cryptocurrency scam, it is not an isolated case at all. Latest FBI annual report Internet crimes report It reported that cryptocurrency investment fraud led to losses of more than $6.5 billion in 2024 alone.

It’s unclear how many, if any, cryptocurrency donations may have been made in connection with the death hoax. On Thursday, the official Guinness World Records X account shared a new video of Jonathan snacking on a banana as further proof of life.

Many ports, incl BBC USA Today issued corrections after publishing the fake news.