For a minute it looked like we had lost the world’s oldest tortoise. Rumors circulated online that the animal had passed away. Now we’re here to tell you that Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise is still very much alive. He’s just (very) slowly living his life on the island of Saint Helena.
Given his incredible age (an estimated 190 years old) it didn’t seem entirely impossible that he would live much longer. But as it turns out, the reports were completely false.
An X account falsely claiming to be Jonathan’s vet, Joe Hollins, announced on April 1, 2026, that the tortoise had passed away. The Truth of the matter is that the real Dr. Hollins does not have an X account the hoax was designed to solicit cryptocurrency donations.
So there you have it! Jonathan the tortoise is alive and kicking. Still eating and enjoying life for who knows how much longer. Given that these animals live a very long time, he might just make it to over 200.
