By Emma Farge and Cecile Mantovani
GENEVA – Angelica Bourgoin strokes the shell of Janus the tortoise, whispering to him quietly as he scuttles in his pen and – his two heads rubbing collectively – prepares to rejoice his twenty fifth birthday.
Janus, who additionally has two hearts, two lungs and two distinct personalities, wouldn't have survived lengthy within the wild as he can't retract his heads into his shell to hunt shelter from predators.
However on the Geneva Pure Historical past Museum, the place he hatched in 1997, Bourgoin and her staff of carers – who imagine he's the world’s oldest bicephalic tortoise – can cater for his each want.
They feed him natural salad and provides him each day massages and baths in inexperienced tea and chamomile. For train, he goes for normal walks, generally with music, and rides on a custom-made skateboard.
“I feel it’s due to the eye we give him and our devotion that he’s nonetheless right here at this time,” mentioned Bourgoin.
Janus, a Greek tortoise named after the two-headed Roman god of beginnings and transitions, additionally has a particular get together to sit up for this weekend.
However it’s not all plain crusing.
He's below fixed surveillance in case he flips over, which might be deadly, and survived a bladder stone operation in 2020. His heads want periodic therapy with vaseline to cease them getting sore once they rub collectively.
His two personalities additionally generate completely different moods and tastes that may often result in battle, for instance over which path to stroll.
“The fitting head is extra curious, extra awake, it has a a lot stronger persona. The left head is extra passive and likes to eat,” Bourgoin mentioned, including that one head was keen on endives and the opposite to carrots.
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