Meet Pokey, an undersized Eastern box turtle with a cult following

When she first met the eastern box turtle named Pokey, Cleo Bowen-Wiggins was still in diapers – far too young to recognize she was in the presence of a local celebrity. But like so many others, she was captivated by the creature, sparking an unlikely friendship that endured for years.

So there was no question as to whether Bowen-Wiggins, now 15, would be in attendance Saturday for Pokey’s 30th birthday celebration. Held at Pokey’s home inside the Rock Creek Park Nature Center and Planetarium in D.C., the event doubled as a turtle tribute.

Attendees of all ages wore Pokey hats and ate Pokey-themed cake; they swapped Pokey stories and presented the reptile with hand-drawn birthday cards. Several visitors, like Bowen-Wiggins, had known Pokey their entire life.

But how does an undersized box turtle develop a near-cult following?

“There’s just something about him, you know?” Bowen-Wiggins said. “I loved every animal as a kid, and I still do, but it’s just really exciting to see Pokey.”

Pokey’s story began in 1995, when a Rock Creek Park visitor found him as a hatchling on the nature center’s porch and brought him inside, fearing he could be run over by a lawn mower. Park employees were unsure if it was best to release him back into the wild, but it soon became clear, Pokey would be vulnerable outside of the nature center.

Pokey, who can fit in the palm of your hand, is now believed to be one-third the size of his peers, in part because he was initially fed meals that lacked sufficient calcium, a nutrient essential for healthy shell growth.

“His growth is stunted because he wasn’t eating the wild diet,” said Maggie Zadorozny, a retired education specialist for Rock Creek Park who says Pokey’s favorite food is earthworms. “The intentions were good, but the execution was inadequate for his proper development.”

So perhaps it is Pokey’s miniature stature that’s made him such a darling to small children and their parents, offering families an easy lesson on why it is important to eat nutritious foods to grow strong.

Or maybe it’s the fact his name is a play off the phrase “slow poke,” even though Pokey is rumored to be surprisingly fast, at least in short spurts. This has apparently gotten him into trouble inside the nature center, where he regularly has opportunities to roam the building for exercise, but occasionally slips out of sight.

In one 2023 Instagram post, the nature center said that during a roaming session in the building, Pokey “had somehow managed to elude the park rangers,” even though they had “Pokey-proofed” the area.

It turns out Pokey had slipped under the copy machine, only to be discovered when he popped his head back out. Park Ranger Kerry Ferguson said the staff once had to tie a balloon to him to ensure he wouldn’t get lost.

“He can really turn on the afterburners,” Ferguson said.

On Saturday, Ferguson, who organized the party, taught visitors how to properly pet Pokey with a delicate, two-finger touch on the surface of his shell, not on his head or limbs.

After waiting his turn to pet Pokey, 6-year-old James Silverstein offered a more cosmetic rationale for why he is so special: “I like his little legs and claws the most,” he said.

Silverstein and his sister, 3-year-old Josie Kaye, were among the large gaggle of children there to present Pokey with colorful drawings and birthday cards. They will be added to a significant collection of gifts for Pokey on display inside the nature center, where Anna Boucher-Gilbert, who turns 2 next month, visits frequently to see animals and play games.

Saturday was the first time she could give Pokey a closer look, however.

Asked about her thoughts on the reptile, Boucher-Gilbert hid shyly in the elbow of her dad’s sleeve. Yet the two custom birthday cards she made for the turtle said it all: Boucher-Gilbert was the newest member of the Pokey Fan Club.

“Pokey is imprinted on people. He’s been handled and talked to since he was a baby, it’s probably why he’s so sociable,” Zadorozny, the retired education specialist, said. “He’s used to humans interacting with him and he interacts with them.”

True to form, Pokey was calm and collected as his growing fan base sang him happy birthday. When Silverstein realized Pokey couldn’t blow out the candles, he was more than glad to do so on the turtle’s behalf.

Back inside, Pokey enjoyed his own special “cake” made with turtle food and sweet potatoes that was packed with calcium.

He got to enjoy some earthworms, too.