Tortoise With A Purpose

Believe it or not, one of the greatest things for me growing up in Wyoming, was our close proximity to the Badlands of South Dakota.

I always looked forward to our family vacations where the Flintstones, Bear Country USA, Mount Rushmore, and Reptile Gardens were prime destinations.  I mean, we all went there!

So I take great pride in wishing Methuselah the Galapagos Tortoise a happy belated birthday!   

The star attraction of Reptile Gardens just turned 130 years old.  Funny, he hardly looks 110!  It's neat when you realize that the same year Methuselah's egg cracked, back in 1881, the American Red Cross was founded, Chester A. Arthur was sworn in as our 21st president, and Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday engaged the Clantons in their infamous shootout at the OK Corral.

In another nice tie-in with the big guy's birthday, and to the surprise of Reptile Gardens, itself--the Perse Girls Junior School in Cambridge, United Kingdom was searching for a way to honor their own 130th birthday.  They stumbled upon Methuselah's milestone, decided to hold a raffle and raised enough money to buy 100 pounds of the tortoise's favorite treat--watermelon. That will keep Methuselah happy for another entire year.  Pretty cool, huh?

If you're heading for the Black Hills, don't miss a visit to Reptile Gardens.  In fact, I'm thinking that I'm due for another trip...and not just to Deadwood this time. 

P.S.  If you look closely, there appears to be an "82" on the front of his shell.  Anyone know what that means?