Crazy bullshit
Jonathan, the world's oldest known tortoise, died at almost 194 years old on 1 April 2026.
Spread on: X, 1 April 2026, then repeated by some news outlets including the BBC
The real story
An X account claiming to be Jonathan's vet announced his death on April Fools' Day. It was a hoax, and the ancient tortoise on St Helena was still alive. Several outlets, including the BBC, repeated the claim before it unravelled.
The fact-checker's verdict: “False”. Our label never goes further than theirs.
How to spot it
Check the date: anything posted on 1 April deserves extra suspicion, especially from new or unverified accounts.
The receipts
No need to worry: Claim Jonathan the tortoise died is just another death hoax ↗
Snopes · 2026-04-02
