The
tortoise was pulled from a bomb-hit house in Essex in 1945
After
96 years, the vet discovered that he was in fact a female
Born
when Gladstone was Prime Minister, Thomas the tortoise has survived everything
since 1882, even Nazi bombs.
But
Thomas, now Britain’s oldest resident, hid a secret under its shell for most of
those 130 years – being a female.
The
tortoise was pulled from the rubble of a bomb-hit house in Essex in 1945. But
it was only when owner June Le Gallez of Guernsey inherited Thomas in 1978 that
a vet found the truth, after 96 years.
‘People suggested I rename him Tomasina, but I
thought it would be cruel to change it,’ said Mrs Le Gallez, 54, adding: ‘She
isn’t slowing down. People can’t believe how active she is.’
Mrs
Le Gallez, 54, who cares for the reptile at her home on the Channel Island of
Guernsey, added: ‘Thomas is very much part of the family. I have pictures with
her when I was as young as two.
'Because
she is so old we thought we would have lost her by now but she is tough. I
sometimes wonder if she will outlive me.
‘She’s
always been very big for her age.
‘Thomas
used to live and run in the garden when she was younger but now we keep her in
the house and she bumbles around.
‘She
is just a massive part of the family and everyone is very fond of her.
‘She
really races around when she wants to. She’s really fast.’
Mrs
Le Gallez inherited Thomas from her cousin Grace Hilditch in 1978.
Ms
Hilditch had been given Thomas in 1922 as a present from her father Harry, who
was friends with a reptile keeper at London Zoo.
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