The world’s oldest known turtle, Jonathan, is said to be dead. However, his manager dismissed the claims, calling them a “fraud”.
According to media reports citing X Joe Hollins’ social media, Jonathan, who is said to be over 193 years old, has died.
“It is with a heavy heart that I inform you that our beloved Jonathan, the world’s oldest living land animal, passed away peacefully today on St. Helena,” the post read. “This gentle giant has survived empires, wars, and generations of men.
However, Robert Midgley, a spokesman for British Overseas, said in a social media post that Jonathan was alive and the verified X account was not the real Joe Hollins account.
“We have been in contact with Joe (who is not actually on X) and confirmed that Jonathan is alive and well. This account is fake, please ignore,” Midglet said.
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Soon after, in a separate post, the X-Clan confirmed that Jonathan was still alive. “Yes, he’s still alive. Did someone send the crypto? Yes, @oldestanimal. He’s been passionate about Jonathan for over a year,” said a person impersonating Hollins. “This was just an April Fool’s joke.
Screengrab of the explanatory post from the X account that started the rumor
What did the real Joe Hollins say?
Joe Hollins, Jonathan’s long-term veterinarian, shared a screenshot of the X post attributed to him and said it was a hoax.
“VX with the American spelling is a hoax going around – not even April fools – but using my name and saying Jonathan the Tortoise, the oldest living land animal, is dead,” he said. “NOT TRUE.”
Hollins also claimed that the scammer was asking for cryptocurrency donations. “It’s a scam.
He urged his followers to “repost” his post as fake news spread. “Even our friends the researchers in the US who are uncovering his DNA have just expressed their condolences,” Hollins said while urging concern.
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About Jonathan the turtle
Jonathan is believed to have hatched around 1832, Hollins said. According to the Guinness Book of Records, it holds the title of the oldest living land animal on Earth.
Jonathan, the Seychelles giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea), lives on the remote South Atlantic island of St Helena in Britain. It first came to Saint Helena in 1882 as a gift from the Seychelles. Since then, he has lived on the grounds of the Governor’s mansion at Plantation House.
The turtle, which spent most of its life on St Helena, was first photographed in 1839, according to media reports. He met Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle.
In a photograph taken in 1882, Jonathan can be seen as a fully grown turtle when he was first brought to the island. Experts say he was about 50 years old at the time.
Jonathan has lived through the reigns of eight British monarchs and met George VI during their visit to the island in 1947. and the future Elizabeth II.
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The giant tortoise met Sir Lindsay in 2024 when he was presented with a Guinness World Records certificate recognizing him as the world’s oldest known land animal.
At the time, Hollins said that although Jonathan had lost his sense of smell and vision, he still seemed very happy and healthy.
