Overview
- The false report, which spread on X on Wednesday, came from an account posing as veterinarian Joe Hollins and asked for cryptocurrency donations.
- St Helena’s communications office and the real Hollins confirmed Jonathan is alive, with Governor Nigel Phillips finding him asleep under a tree and the Governor’s Office sharing fresh video of him with tourists.
- The hoax message drew roughly 1.7 to 2 million views before several major outlets, including the BBC, USA Today and the Daily Mail, published it and later retracted or corrected their stories.
- Investigations cited by multiple outlets reported the impersonating account was operating from Brazil, undercutting claims that it was a harmless April Fools’ joke.
- Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise at Plantation House since 1882 and recognized by Guinness as the oldest known living land animal, became the center of a case that underscores how fast emotional claims and crypto grifts can outrun basic verification.