World’s oldest known land animal alive after viral death hoax fools thousands

The world’soldest land animal,Jonathan the tortoise, is still alive after a viral hoax falsely claimed he’d died.

The confusion began after apost on Xfalsely claimed the giant tortoise had died at age 193. 

The account, which impersonated Jonathan’s veterinarian, Joe Hollins, quickly gained traction and sparked concern among fans around the world.That claim, however, was not true.

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“Yes, he’s still alive,” the X user wrote hours later.“This was just anApril Fools’ prank.”

The real Joe Hollins also stepped in to respond.

Jonathan, shown here, is still alive despite a viral false claim on X that he had died.(Gianluigi Guercia/AFP via Getty Images)

“Jonathan the tortoise is very much alive,” his veterinarian, Joe Hollins, toldUSA Today. 

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He added that the fake account appeared to be part of a scam — and was even attempting to collect cryptocurrency donations.

Seychelles giant tortoise, continues to live on the island of St.Helena, a remote British territory in the South Atlantic Ocean where he has spent most of his life, according to St.Helena’s government website.

Jonathan still lives on the remote South Atlantic island of St.Helena, where he has spent nearly his entire life.(iStock)

Jonathan is believed to have beenborn around 1832. 

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He was already considered an adult when he arrived on St.Helena in 1882, meaning he has lived through nearly two centuries of history.

Jonathan is currently the world’s oldest living land animal.(iStock)

His exact birthdate remains unknown. 

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In 2022, officials assigned him anofficial birthdayof Dec.4, the island said.

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Despite his age, Jonathan continues to defy expectations, outliving generations and remaining a symbol of longevity on the island he calls home.

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Helena’s government for comment.