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Giant Tortoise, Jonathan, Alive Despite Death Hoax
3 Apr
Summary
- Jonathan, the 193-year-old tortoise, is alive and well.
- A fake social media post claimed the tortoise had died.
- The hoax may have been a cryptocurrency donation scam.
Jonathan, a giant tortoise thought to be the world's oldest living land animal, is confirmed to be alive and well at 193 years old. This clarification follows a deceptive social media post that falsely announced his death.
The viral claim originated from an X account impersonating Jonathan's veterinarian, Joe Hollins. This account, which reportedly originated in Brazil rather than on St. Helena Island where Jonathan resides, mistakenly led several news outlets to report the tortoise's demise.
However, the actual veterinarian, Joe Hollins, stated unequivocally that Jonathan is "very much alive." Hollins believes the impersonator's motive was to solicit cryptocurrency donations, characterizing the hoax as a "con" rather than a simple prank.
This incident underscores a broader trend of cryptocurrency scams, with the FBI reporting over $6.5 billion lost to investment fraud in 2024 alone. The Guinness World Records later shared a video of Jonathan enjoying bananas to further prove he is alive. Numerous media organizations have since issued corrections for their initial reports.
