The legend of Gus
McKinnon Ramshaw keeps star attraction healthy
Four stubby legs propel the determined tortoise forward. Five toenails of varying lengths dig into the sand. The tortoise stands up against the wall of his enclosure, using his back legs for support as his bald, wrinkled head peers over the barrier. He probably can't see Heather McKinnon Ramshaw standing in front of him. But with his sense of smell, he can definitely tell she is there.
“Sorry, Gus,” she says, inserting a key into the door. “We'll go on your walk soon.”
McKinnon Ramshaw has been an animal care coordinator at the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History for 14 years. She is responsible for various snakes, a jumble of frogs, seven salamanders, an anole lizard, two turtles, a hive of bees, marine life and – most notably – a famous tortoise named Gus. He has appeared in the Canadian television series Mr. D and has met countless Halifax-based stars and athletes. His biggest claim to fame, though, is his age. Gus is the oldest recorded gopher tortoise in captivity.
Many arguments have occurred in front of his exhibit. Is Gus a tortoise or a turtle? McKinnon Ramshaw sometimes interrupts to say “both!” She explains that all tortoises are turtles, but not all turtles are tortoises. The only difference between these reptiles is that tortoises are land animals and cannot swim. Turtles, on the other hand, are built to swim and can live in both environments.
McKinnon Ramshaw started volunteering at the museum in 1999 after graduating with an honour's degree in biology from Saint Mary's University. When she first met Gus he had already been the museum's star attraction for more than 50 years. Asked Gus's secret to longevity, McKinnon Ramshaw jokes that it's due to his vegan diet – he is the only animal at the museum who does not eat any meat – daily walks and frequent naps. She also attributes his health to the museum's care, including trips to the vet twice a year. These check-ups require McKinnon Ramshaw to swaddle Gus in a blanket just like a baby and gently place him in an opened cooler while she drives. The insulated container keeps him warm.
HATCHED IN FLORIDA
Gus was hatched 99 years ago in Florida and lived at the
Ross Allen Reptile Institute near Orlando until he was about 20. Former Nova Scotia Museum director Don Crowdis happened to be in the area when the reptile institute was shutting down. Among animals being auctioned off were an Indigo snake, a Caiman alligator and a tortoise. The tortoise was being sold for today's equivalent of $5. They were all bought by Crowdis and brought back to Halifax.
It is unclear how he transported them (Crowdis passed away in 2011), but it would be highly illegal today. Florida law 68A-27.003 states that
“no person shall take, attempt to take, pursue, hunt, harass, capture, possess, sell or transport any gopher tortoise.”
The law came into effect in 2012.
The Natural History Museum was established in
1868, and for decades was on Spring Garden Road, in what is now Dalhousie University's Faculty of Architecture and Planning. The museum and its beloved tortoise moved to Summer Street in 1970. No one knows what happened to the alligator that accompanied Gus to Halifax, but the Indigo snake is preserved in a jar.
Gus's name came from a young volunteer back in the 1950s. Eleven-year-old John Augustus Gilhen, smitten with the tortoise, devoted a lot of time to working with Gus. When he turned 17 Gilhen got a job tending to the animals. Now retired, Gilhen once in a while still comes in to see his old friend.
GUS KEEPS HER BUSY
McKinnon Ramshaw is not only tasked with animal care but is in charge of collecting specimens for the displays. She fondly remembers turning over rocks as a kid to see what was underneath. Now, she says, she is paid to do that.
Some animals were brought in by the public. Four Cuban tree frogs live in the lab. One was found in a Home Depot and the others in the luggage area of the Halifax airport.
Once 3:30 p.m. hits McKinnon Ramshaw makes her way to the front of the museum, to Gus's sandbox. She reaches in to place a colourful sign against a hollowed-out log. The sign tells visitors that
Gus is on his walk and where to find him. Some days, he is more content to nap in his enclosure than to go on a walk, but not today. As his door is opened Gus eagerly tries to climb out.
“Hey, guy! Oh my god, you're ready to go!,” McKinnon Ramshaw says, as she wraps her hands around his 10-pound body and lifts him out. Her hands are on either side of his shell. She carries
him when needed but these interactions are brief because, like most tortoises, Gus does not like to be carried.
One of McKinnon Ramshaw's duties is to train staff how to carry Gus. She also trains security guards how to pick him up properly – just in case. Gus is the only specimen in the museum to be evacuated in an emergency.
100TH BIRTHDAY BASH FOR GUS
McKinnon Ramshaw brings Gus to the gallery section of the museum while a couple of visitors follow behind.
She places him down gently, sits beside him on the floor and opens a green-lidded Tupperware container. Inside are lettuce, berries and Gus' favourite food, bananas. Or, they used to be. Gus happily crunches on lettuce, to the delight of the visitors, who are busy snapping pictures on their phones.
Gus then starts towards a spot where he always causes mischief. Gopher tortoises love to burrow, but since there is no place Gus can hide along the carpet, he likes to dig in the corner of the gallery. As McKinnon Ramshaw starts answering questions about Gus, the distant sound of nails scratching plasterboard is wilfully ignored.
The naughtiest thing Gus has done was to bite McKinnon Ramshaw when she was feeding him. It wasn't on purpose, and he doesn't have teeth, but he has a beak and, according to McKinnon, Gus gives the best bite of all the animals in the museum.
It happened when she was feeding Gus and answering guests' questions at the same time. Multitasking proved hazardous. She was funnelling a peeled, thinly cut apple into Gus's mouth with about 20 people surrounding them, and for a split-second looked away from her hand. Chomp, chomp, chomp, finger. He clamped down on her index finger, right where the nail meets the flesh. Although it was painful, McKinnon Ramshaw had to keep her cool in front of the crowd. While it did not hurt for long, it did draw blood.
Almost all the staff have been nipped by Gus. The tortoise experiences his world through his mouth, just as an infant places items in the mouth to better understand them. This could explain why he likes chewing on staff's shoelaces and on the museum walls. He is trying to make sense of his environment.
Gus has a lot of tricks up his shell. When asked if he has ever had a mate, McKinnon Ramshaw replies, “there have been rumours.” When asked the most famous person Gus has met, museum staff toss out names: “Sidney Crosby, Gordie Howe, Elliot Page.” Other stories of celebrities are shared. “Kate Beckinsale visited the museum once. She talked about our poop display on Jay Leno!” It is no contest, though, that Gus is McKinnon Ramshaw's favourite museum resident. She describes him as a cute but grumpy old man.
Her favourite thing to do with Gus is to take him outside during warm weather. If it is hot enough to go outside in just a T-shirt, it is warm enough for Gus. McKinnon Ramshaw says outside walks with Gus are a good excuse to just sit on the grass outside and relax. Despite her hectic schedule as the animal care co-ordinator, mother and wife, her friendship with Gus has taught her to slow down.
Gus's 100th birthday will be celebrated on Aug. 11, 2022. His actual birthdate is unknown, as he did not have a birth certificate. McKinnon Ramshaw and other experts at the museum are confident that his actual age is within a year of his estimated age. He could be 98, 99 or 100 but no lower and no higher.
One thing at the museum is timeless. That's the welcome sight of Gus relaxing in his sandbox, bringing joy to generations of admirers.