Jonathan, the World's Oldest Tortoise, Shocks the Internet After a Death Hoax

Liputan6.com, Jakarta - On April 1, 2026, the internet was shocked by a hoax claiming that Jonathan, the world's oldest known tortoise, had died.

This false information first spread through the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

The post originated from an account claiming to be Jonathan's veterinarian, Joe Hollins, who falsely announced that Jonathan had "passed away peacefully" on Saint Helena at the age of 193.

This false claim even included personal details about Jonathan's care, designed to convey authenticity and reassure the public.

However, this sad news turned out to be a scam aimed at soliciting cryptocurrency donations in April the 1st.

The fake account changed its username and bio shortly before spreading the hoax, then directed its followers to a crypto wallet for "memorial donations" to the legendary animal.

Jonathan the Giant Tortoise's death has been revealed to be a hoax, and the big guy is alive and well at the age of 193.A crypto scammer created an account impersonating his caretaker and spread misinformation to several media outlets. pic.twitter.com/ybEonk8fDJ

— Pubity (@pubity) April 1, 2026

The hoax about Jonathan's death spread rapidly on social media, particularly on platform X, on April 1, 2026.

A fake account impersonating Jonathan's veterinarian, Joe Hollins, became the primary source of this misleading information, claiming that the world's oldest tortoise had passed away on Saint Helena.

The modus operandi behind this hoax was quite well-planned, with the fake account deliberately including personal details about Jonathan's care to increase the credibility of its claim.

The primary purpose of this hoax was revealed to be a scam to solicit cryptocurrency donations.

The account X reportedly changed its identity before the false announcement and then directed its followers to a crypto wallet address, capitalizing on public sentiment toward this beloved animal.

Several prominent news agencies, such as BBC News and USA Today, initially reported the claim of Jonathan's death, citing the false post.

BBC News even published an article attributing the claim to Joe Hollins and repeating details from the hoax post, demonstrating how convincing the hoax was.

However, the truth didn't take long to emerge.

Saint Helena Governor Nigel Phillips officially denied the claim, asserting that Joe Hollins did not own the X account and did not create the post.

Joe Hollins' own veterinarian later confirmed that Jonathan was "very much alive" and called the post a hoax, not an April Fool's joke.

A spokesperson for the British Overseas Territories also confirmed that Jonathan, the iconic animal, was alive and well, and stated that the X account spreading the hoax was fake.

Following this debunking, USA Today quickly retracted their article, and BBC News issued a correction.

Jonathan is a Seychelles giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea hololissa) thought to have been born around 1832, making him the oldest known living land animal.

In 2026, his age is estimated to be 193 years, a conservative estimate considering he was fully mature when he arrived on Saint Helena in 1882.

Despite his advanced age, Jonathan is reportedly in good health.

He does suffer from blindness due to cataracts and loss of his sense of smell, which makes it somewhat difficult for him to detect food.

However, his hearing is excellent and his appetite remains strong.

Veterinarian Joe Hollins confirmed that Jonathan shows "no signs of slowing down" and remains very active.

Jonathan also continues to socialize with the other tortoises at Plantation House, David, Emma, ​​and Frederik.