LONDON (AP) — On April Fools’ Day, rumors about the death of Jonathan, the world’s oldest living land animal, a 193-year-old tortoise, circulated widely, but these reports were ultimately proven to be false.

Jonathan continues to live, albeit slowly, on the island of St. Helena. Anne Dillon, the head of communications for the island, confirmed to The Associated Press on Thursday that Jonathan remains very much alive. “It was a hoax,” Dillon emphatically stated.

The misinformation spread rapidly across social media platforms on Wednesday. An account on X, falsely claiming to be associated with Joe Hollins, a veterinarian who has cared for Jonathan on the island located in the South Atlantic Ocean between Africa and Brazil, announced the tortoise's death, describing him as the “gentle giant” who had “outlived empires, wars, and generations of humans.” This post garnered nearly 2 million views by Thursday, leading to a flood of condolences from followers.

However, Hollins later clarified on Facebook that he does not have an account on X and labeled the post as a hoax, revealing a sinister twist to the situation. “There is a hoax—not even an April Fool—going around,” he wrote. He warned that the perpetrator was soliciting cryptocurrency donations, identifying the situation as a con.

According to Guinness World Records, Jonathan is recognized as the oldest living land animal and the oldest tortoise ever recorded. He was brought to St. Helena in 1882, at which time he was believed to be around 50 years old.

To corroborate Jonathan’s health, the St. Helena government released a photo taken on Thursday, showing him wandering the grounds of the governor's residence. The island is famously known as the location where Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled after his defeat by the British at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Napoleon passed away there in 1821, approximately a decade before Jonathan embarked on what would become an incredibly long life.