A fabricated report claiming the death of Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise believed to be at least 193 years old, spread rapidly across the internet on Wednesday after being posted by an individual presenting themselves as the animal’s veterinarian. The hoax was picked up by multiple news outlets before being debunked. The individual later confirmed it was an April Fool’s Day prank, mocking the publications and users who had accepted the story as fact.
The original post accumulated more than 1.7 million views on the social media platform before the deception was exposed. Once the hoax was uncovered, the account posted on Wednesday evening acknowledging that Jonathan remained alive. The same post included a Solana contract address for a meme coin called JONATHAN, which trades under the ticker JONATHAN and promotes the tortoise, with the account also asking whether anyone had sent cryptocurrency.
The Solana contract address was displayed both in the account’s bio and prominently on its profile page. At least one post from the account referenced accepting donations, though it is unclear whether separate donation requests were later deleted or whether the contract address was simply mistaken for a personal wallet. The address appears to represent the token account of the meme coin rather than an individual’s holdings.
The JONATHAN token was originally created in July 2025 but had remained largely obscure, only recently climbing above a $40,000 market cap in the past month of trading. Following the viral hoax, the token briefly surged to a $380,000 market cap on Thursday before retracing all gains and settling back around $50,000, according to data from DEXScreener. The spike proved insufficient for meaningful profits, with the two most successful traders each earning less than $2,500.
Notably, the most profitable trader had already exited their position two days before the hoax was published, missing out on a potentially larger return. The brief price movement did not result in significant financial gains for those who traded during the frenzy. The episode highlighted how viral misinformation can temporarily influence even low-profile digital assets.
Jonathan resides on St. Helena, a British overseas territory in the South Atlantic, where he is considered a symbol of the island’s heritage. The Governor’s Office of St. Helena, Ascension and Tristan issued a statement confirming that Jonathan was alive and that a dedicated team continues to monitor his health closely. The governor of the island also provided a proof-of-life photograph of the tortoise eating leaves to the Guardian on Thursday morning, offering reassurance to those who had falsely mourned his passing.
Originally reported by Decrypt.
