“News outlets including the BBC, Daily Mail and USA Today falsely reported his death after an X account posing as Jonathan’s vet broke the news.”

“The real vet, who does not use X, said: '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.'”

“He has lived on the grounds of the governor’s mansion on Saint Helena, since 1882, when he arrived as a gift to the South Atlantic island.”

“Nigel Phillips, the governor, was getting ready for bed on Wednesday night when he was inundated with anxious messages. 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.'”

“Despite being blind from cataracts and having lost his sense of smell, Jonathan remains hale and hearty with a strong appetite for bananas and a healthy libido – he tries to mate with two younger tortoises who also reside on the governor’s property.”

“A local celebrity, the tortoise has appeared on the reverse of Saint Helena’s 5p coin.”