N.S. tortoise celebrates 90th birthday with cake, lemonade and lots of kids

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Gus, the resident gopher tortoise at the Museum of Natural History, heads for a walk as he celebrates his 90th birthday at the museum in Halifax on Sunday, August 12, 2012. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

HALIFAX – Gus the Tortoise celebrated his 90th birthday today with almost 1,000 people at the Museum of Nature in Halifax.

Museum staff believe Gus, who is barely bigger than a kitten, is the oldest gopher turtle in the world.

They estimate he hatched sometime between 1920 and 1925.

Although Gus’s guests were treated to birthday cake and lemonade, the turtle enjoyed a special treat of organic blueberries and strawberries.

Jeff Gray, the museum’s curator of marketing and communications, says Gus seems to really love people and it was great to get so many out to help celebrate.

The birthday cake was shared mid-afternoon, but Gus was treated to non-stop celebrations throughout the day.

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