Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.
At 101 years old, Gus the gopher tortoise mostly enjoys peace and quiet, which makes him perfect for visitors who want to see the iconic animal up close.
“Kids aren’t intimidated by him and sometimes Gus is the first exotic animal they come across,” said Heath McKinnon Ramshaw, Gus’ carer.
Gus has lived at the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History in Halifax since the 1940s when the director of the institution at the time bought it in Florida. His popularity has grown steadily over the decades and he could reach even more fans with a new book about his life.
“Nova Scotia Loves Gus” by Doretta Groenendyk is an illustrated story on the century of Gus’s life.
“Everyone loves Gus, so much so that it’s the name of the book,” said Jeff Gray with the museum. “It really looks at why Gus is special and why people love him.
“The book is in many ways a great way to sum up what a visit to Gus is like. It’s a great biography.”
Gus the gopher turtle looks a new book about his life. (Source: Facebook/Natural History Museum)
Gray said Gus is part of the museum for people of all ages.
“For many people it is one of the first things you see on the way in and one of the last things you see on the way out,” he said. “We’ve literally had generations of families that have celebrated birthdays with Gus, visited Gus.”
McKinnon Ramshaw has worked with Gus for more than 15 years and she says he is the oldest known gopher tortoise in the world.
“It’s always an honor to look up to Gus and be a part of his life,” she said. “Every year is more special the older it gets.”
The museum will hold a book launch event at 1747 Summer Street from 1 to 4 pm on Saturday.
Check out a photo gallery of Gus here.
For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.
(Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
source link https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/more/illustrated-book-explores-life-of-popular-gus-the-gopher-tortoise-1.6933331
