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  "path": "/2026/04/02/worlds-oldest-tortoise-falls-victim-cruel-death-hoax-27821105/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-02T09:03:42.000Z",
  "site": "https://metro.co.uk",
  "tags": [
    "News",
    "World",
    "Animals",
    "BBC",
    "USA",
    "Brazil",
    "Guardian",
    "cryptocurrency",
    "check our news page",
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  "textContent": "The world thought Jonathan was dead after 193 years (Picture: PA)\n\nHis life spanned eight monarchs, two world wars and the invention of the lightbulb, train and telephone.\n\nThis is the start of an obituary we were about to write for the world’s oldest tortoise – until it turned out he hadn’t died.\n\nAt 193 years old, Jonathan was the victim of an April Fool’s crypto scam which tricked the entire world into believing he had passed away.\n\nThe BBC, Daily Mail and USA Today all fell for a fake X account posing as the tortoise’s vet.\n\nThe post, attributed to ‘Joe Hollins’, claimed: ‘Heartbroken to share that our beloved Jonathan, the world’s oldest living land animal, has passed away today peacefully on Saint Helena.\n\n‘As his vet for many years, it was an honour to care for him – hand-feeding bananas, watching him bask in the sun and marvelling at his quiet wisdom. He leaves behind a legacy of resilience and longevity that inspired millions. Rest easy, old friend. You’ll be missed more than words can say.’\n\nJonathan with his beloved vet Joe Hollins, who was impersonated on X (Picture: PA)\n\nThe X post racked up 2million views and spawned news reports across the globe, until a close look revealed the account behind it was based in Brazil, according to the Guardian.\n\nThe real Joe Hollins, who does not use X, then said: ‘Jonathan the tortoise is very much alive.\n\n‘I believe on X the person purporting to be me is asking for crypto donations, so it’s not even an April fool joke. It’s a con.’\n\nIndeed the imposter vet was asking for cryptocurrency donations\n\nA spokesperson for the Friends of the British Overseas Territories also said they had been told that Jonathan was ‘alive and well’.\n\nThe historic tortoise’s exact age is actually just an estimate.\n\nNo one knows exactly when he was born, but a photograph taken in 1882 shows that he was fully grown when he was first brought to the island of StHelena, a remote outpost in the South Atlantic.\n\nExperts say this suggests he was about 50 years old at the time.\n\n##  What world events has Jonathan lived through\n\nThis picture captured Jonathan when he was already fully grown in 1886 (Picture: X / Guinness World Records)\n\nWhen Jonathan was born an estimated 193 years ago, Queen Victoria had not yet ascended to the throne and scientists had no idea evolution even existed.\n\nIf he was born in 1833, that means he entered the world on the same year the British Empire abolished slavery.\n\nQueen Victoria’s reign began four years later in 1837.\n\nJonathan survived a huge number of world conflicts, from the Crimean and American Civil wars in the 1800s, to the two World Wars in the 20th century.\n\nThe tortoise was well over a 100 years old when the United Nations was founded in 1945 and the first men landed on the moon in 1969.\n\nJonathan also lived through the invention of the modern world.\n\nThe light bulb and the telephone first popped up almost 50 years after he was born.\n\nThe concept of the modern computer was proposed by Alan Turing after Jonathan had celebrated his 100th birthday.\n\nThe tortoise has met an endless list of famous faces.\n\nHe welcome the future Queen Elizabeth II, as well as King George VI and the Queen Mother, to St Helena in 1947.\n\nJonathan withKing George VI, Queen Elizabeth II (then known as Princess Elizabeth), Princess Margaret, and the Queen Mother (the then Queen Elizabeth) on St Helena (Picture: PA)\n\nJonathan was fed by Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, when he was already 125.\n\nHouse of Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle presented him with a Guinness World Record certificate recognising him as the oldest known land animal in the world.\n\nJonathan has remained on the British Overseas Territory ever since, where he lives on the grounds of Plantation House, the official residence of the St Helena’s Governor.\n\nThis isn’t to say that 193 years doesn’t take its toll on a tortoise.\n\nThe animal is blind from cataracts and has lost his sense of smell.\n\nBut he continues to have a strong appetite for bananas and a healthy libido – which he tries on with two younger tortoises on the island.\n\n******Get in touch with our news team by emailing us atwebnews@metro.co.uk.******\n\n**For more stories like this,** check our news page.\n\nComment now Comments \nAdd Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source\n",
  "title": "World’s oldest tortoise falls victim to cruel death hoax"
}