Jonathan, the world's oldest tortoise, has died at 193 years old. He was gay and lived through 2 world wars.

Question

Jonathan, the world's oldest tortoise, has died at 193 years old

He was gay and lived through two world wars and 40 US presidents

Answer 1

1. Write a brief overall summary of your findings.

The claim that Jonathan, the worlds oldest tortoise has died is false. Many sources, including a CNN article found that he is still alive and well. This rumor has been found to be a scam, created by one of his previous caretakers. 

2. What primary sources did you find (e.g., transcripts, videos of politician speeches, tweets from public figures, scientific studies)? For each source, write at least one or two sentences explaining what you learned. Include all links.

USA Today, BBC, and this article from CNN have found that Jonathan is still alive and well. Saint Helena Government is also in direct contact with Jonathan, being responsible for his care, they, claim that he is alive. 

3. What secondary sources did you find (e.g., newspapers, magazines)? Only use secondary sources if sufficient primary sources are not available. For each source, write at least one or two sentences explaining what you learned. Include all links.

In an article by the Guardian, it is found that this is a crypto death scam. He is still alive and is known as the worlds oldest known land animal. In an article by BBC, they found the death is a hoax. An account on X, Joe Hollins who was previously a vet for Jonathan said he was heartbroken to share the passing of Jonathan.  

4. What potential biases or interests might each of your sources have?

Saint Helena government is the site who is most reliable source when it comes ot Jonathan because they care for him. Saint Helena Government is the most direct source to get information on Jonathan because of that. 

A bias I think each source could show is selection bias, choosing what information to cover about the claim of Jonathan dying. A lot of resources in the internet for this topic are secondary, even though a lot of the news sources are known to be trustworthy. 

5. What evidence supports the claim you are fact-checking?

The fact he lived through two world wars and has experienced 40 U.S. Presidents. It is also found that he is in a same-sex relationship with another male tortoise named Fredrick. 

6. What evidence undermines the claim you are fact-checking?

First I find if a source claims if Jonathan died or not. I compare a majority of my findings to Saint Helena Government because they are in direct contact with Jonathan.

 
7. What happened when you tried contacting the person or group who made the original claim? (Always try to contact them—it’s okay if you don’t get a reply. For example, if the claim is that the president said something, try reaching out to the administration. If it was a Bluesky user, message that user on Bluesky.)

The account did not reach out in return. 

Answer 2

From my research, Johnathon, the world’s oldest Tortoise is still alive and well. Johnathons vet, Joe Hollins commented that he believes a fake account had been created on X claiming to be himself, and asking people for crypto while falsely claiming that: “‘Heartbroken to share that our beloved Jonathan, the world’s oldest living land animal, has passed away today peacefully on Saint Helena.”’

My primary source is BBC’s “World's oldest known tortoise still alive, as reports of death revealed as hoax” https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c393xmpzjwko The article explains that the governor of St. Helena, the island where Johnathon resides, reached out to BBC through email to confirm that “ Jonathan is very much alive”, and BBC has also contacted Joe Hollins to comment on the situation. 

My secondary source is The Guardian's “World’s oldest tortoise caught in viral crypto death scam” posted April second, 2026. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/02/worlds-oldest-tortoise-crypto-death-scam

This article gathered a statement from the real Joe Hollins who does not have his own twitter account: “Jonathan the tortoise is very much alive. 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.” The Guardian also shares that when the governor of St. Helena was made aware of this fake message, “He got up and searched the grounds to check on the tortoise. ‘“Jonathan is asleep under a tree in the paddock,”’ he told the Guardian, adding that the animal was “‘very much alive”’.

Answer 3

Jonathon is real and is claimed to be 190+ years old, making him the oldest known living land animal. He has lived through significant historical events, such as World Wars I and II, and many U.S. presidencies. This part is true, although. There have been no reliable sources or evidence that suggest that he has died or the claims that he is "gay"; this tends to be misleading for readers and can suggest false accusations. While he has been observed with other male tortoises, many scientists do not apply human labels to animal species such as this, especially regarding sexual orientation. Many sources include this, so this information can be misleading for some.

https://www.npr.org/2022/12/07/1141180557/jonathan-tortoise-birthday-190

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/is-worlds-oldest-tortoise-gay-jonathan-comes-out-of-his-shell-as-keepers-realise-partner-of-26years-is-actually-male-a3663421.html

Comments

Great answer! i did not know about scientists generally not applying sexual orientations to animals. i do find it somewhat confusing that you have posted that claim without a source though... i think claiming that he isnt gay could be considered just as misleading as claiming he is.

Answer 4

According to my findings, the main claim stated in the fact check is false. That being that Jonathan the tortoise has died. He is still alive today, as of April 8th 2026. the false claim has been originally spread by someone impersonating Joe Hollins, Jonathan the tortoise's veterinarian on X (formerly Twitter). This false reporting and impersonation seems to be in an attempt to con people with a crypto scam, though the impersonators account has since been deleted. This claim was then picked up by Dexerto, and infamously untrustworthy news group, and eventually brought to this board.

While primary sources appear to not be publicly available, an interview with the real Joe Hollins from USA today corroborate Jonathans good health. Additionally an interview from BBC with Nigel Phillips, the governor of St Helena, where Jonathan resides also assures us of his well being.

A report from USA today reveals this con, via a direct interview with the real Joe Hollins.

The BBC also corroborates these findings, with the additional interview with the governor of St Helena: Nigel Phillips.

The claim that the tortoise is gay are corroborated though, with Jonathans long term partner being found male in veterinary visit. Along side this, the claim that he has livid through the specified times also check out, with Jonathan having a photograph on record from 1882 of the tortoise being fully grown, causing experts to estimate his age at about 50 at the time.

the sources used: the BBC, USA TODAY, and Britannica are considered trustworthy sources according to my findings.

Answer 5

Based on my findings, the claim that Jonathon, the oldest turtle, is dead is a hoax that originated on social media. 
The governor of St. Helena, Nigel Philips, has spoken out and said this claim is disinformation and that the turtle is very much alive. Additionally, the turtle's vet, Joe Hollins, also denied this claim. 

According to the BBC, in an article by Anna Lamche she reports that, "An account on X that had purported to belong to Joe Hollins, a vet who has previously cared for Jonathan, posted that the tortoise had died on the island of St Helena at an estimated age of 193." In the article, they found out that the account was trying to get people's donations by pretending to be the vet. This account was asking for money and conning the public. 

Both of my primary sources are pretty much unbiased, as they are solely letting the public know that this rumor is false, and their turtle is alive. 

A post on the social media platform X, which is known for commonly spreading misinformation. 

 

Answer 6

Think of this as your investigation log. Answer each question to explain what you discovered and how you got there.

1. Write a brief overall summary of your findings. I found out that these claims had no basis, and seem to be a ploy to solicit crypto donations. 
2. What primary sources did you find (e.g., transcripts, videos of politician speeches, tweets from public figures, scientific studies)? For each source, write at least one or two sentences explaining what you learned. Include all links. All the reputable sources that reported a correction of the events (CNN, BBC, SkyNews) cited either Joe Hollins' Facebook or an official statement from Nigel Phillips, both of which have had direct contact with the tortoise in the last days. I learned that they are both aware of the situation in the media, and said he had no prior signs of poor health and is actively alright. https://news.sky.com/story/jonathan-the-giant-tortoise-the-worlds-oldest-living-land-animal-is-alive-after-getting-caught-up-in-alleged-crypto-scam-13527112

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c393xmpzjwko

https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/03/world/oldest-tortoise-alive-despite-rumor-intl-hnk

https://www.facebook.com/joe.hollins.750/photos/this-is-a-hoaxthere-is-a-hoax-not-even-an-april-fool-going-around-in-x-with-amer/10167131011988368/
3. What secondary sources did you find (e.g., newspapers, magazines)? Only use secondary sources if sufficient primary sources are not available. For each source, write at least one or two sentences explaining what you learned. Include all links.
4. What potential biases or interests might each of your sources have? I would say the only main motivation of these articles was to warn people of a potential scam. 
5. What evidence supports the claim you are fact-checking? None. 
6. What evidence undermines the claim you are fact-checking? Direct statements from two people who have regular contact with the tortoise. 
7. What happened when you tried contacting the person or group who made the original claim? (Always try to contact them—it’s okay if you don’t get a reply. For example, if the claim is that the president said something, try reaching out to the administration. If it was a Bluesky user, message that user on Bluesky.) I did not receive a response.