Gus, the world’s oldest tortoise, wished a speedy recovery from surgery in Nova Scotia

A lowly 104-year-old tortoise that underwent surgery Tuesday to remove a bladder stone is getting encouragement from high places in his Nova Scotia home.

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“Premier Tim Houston shared his well-wishes for Gus when it was announced that he would be undergoing surgery,” Houston’s press secretary, Catherine Klimek, said Tuesday in an email.

“It’s been very sweet seeing all the love Gus has received the last few weeks.”

Gus has been a fixture at Halifax’s Museum of Natural History for decades. He is believed to be the oldest gopher tortoise in the world, celebrating his 104th birthday on Aug. 10.

Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore also had words of encouragement for the slow-moving museum attraction.

“For decades, Gus has welcomed countless visitors from all around the world,” Fillmore said in a written statement.

“Over these past few weeks, we’ve seen a remarkable display of appreciation and affection for him. I join the many residents who are wishing him well as he heads into surgery, and look forward to visiting him again very soon.”

Gus went into surgery early Tuesday to remove a bladder stone, said Rob Maguire, who speaks for Nova Scotia’s Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage.

“The last I checked, he was still in surgery,” Maguire said mid-afternoon.

By 5 p.m., Gus was awake and doing well, according to Jeff Gray, the museum’s manager.

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“They were able to remove the entire bladder stone,” Gray said. “It was a complete success … According to the vets, he’s doing great.”

Gus will stay at the animal hospital for 48 hours.

“When he does get back, we expect it will be eight to 10 weeks before he goes back on public view here at the museum,” Gray said.

Gus was initially diagnosed with the bladder stone in 2009. Bladder stones are common in reptiles and tortoises like Gus, Maguire said.

It wasn’t causing him any problems, and the veterinarian recommended leaving it alone.

“The alternative of removing it was a fairly invasive surgery,” Maguire said.

Fast forward to his most recent scans from this year. “It had grown, so the decision was made to go in and remove it now because if it grew any further, it might start to pose a problem for him,” Maguire said.

“Also, since 2009, there have been advances in veterinary care that have made this surgery a lot less invasive than it would have been back then.”

In 2009, surgeons would have had to cut through Gus’s shell to access his abdomen, Maguire said.

“Now they’re able to do it by creating a small incision in his leg and to access his bladder through his abdominal cavity through that leg,” he said.

“It’s much less invasive, it decreases the risk of surgery, and it makes recovery a lot easier and shorter.”

Generations of children have visited Gus for decades to feed him lettuce and bananas.

“My father (age 71) who was born and raised here — he remembers seeing Gus when he was a kid,” Maguire said.

“Now I’ve got a seven-year-old niece who also loves him, too.”

Gus is a Gopher Tortoise, otherwise know as gopherus polyphemus, which are native to the U.S. South and one of the oldest living species on the planet.

“But for Haligonians, we call him Gopher Gus the Lettuce King. Or just Gus, for short.” reads a history of Gus prepared by Halifax Public Libraries

One of the museum’s former curators acquired Gus in 1942 from a reptile institute in Silver Springs, Fla. He is believed to have been about 20 years old when he was purchased, according to the library’s Gus primer.

When he first took up residence in Halifax, he was given free rein of the museum. “He used to walk around the halls, in between the library stacks. Wherever you went, you were apt to fall over Gus.”

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