Local resident Max the Tortoise is on the mend, but it’s been a challenging several weeks for the gentle giant. We recently received a message from Kevin Proulx, the Tortoise Guy and nearby neighbor, who we met last year when we took a tour of his tortoise rescue, known as Tortoiseland.
“Max…the most awesome, 27-year-old, African Sulcata tortoise, is very sick,” wrote Proulx. “But the 107 pound Gentle Giant of TortoiseLand is doing much better and his doctors and all of us here know that he will pull through and recover!”
Max has been battling a fierce bacterial infection, according to Proulx, who along with Max’s specialty veterinarians have been working to nurse Max back to health. His medical bills are extensive, approximately $10,000, so friends of Tortoiseland have set up a GOFUNDME page asking for $1 donations or whatever friends can afford. So far, Proulx has raised nearly $4,700.
“I am blown away blown away by the outpouring of support for Max,” Proulx told the Buzz. “That’s also a testament to how Max is so fascinating to so many people. He truly is the mascot of Tortoiseland. His huge size and gentle personality makes kids and adults instantly fall for him. That’s certainly what happen with me when I rescued him from that awful bathroom 15 years ago,” said Proulx.
Proulx sent us this video that he made just yesterday showing the program Max has made. As of today, Max is still improving, let’s hope it stays that way. You can learn more about the effort to help Max by clicking here.
