Gus Ben David, Beloved and Respected Island Naturalist, Dies at 81

Augustus (Gus) D. Ben David 2nd, the Vineyard’s famed wildlife specialist and former director of Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary, died on July 4 at his home in Edgartown after an extended illness.

Read More

Gus Ben David Reflects on Three Decades of Progress at Felix Neck Sanctuary

Gus Ben David is an Island institution. For 30 years he has directed Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary. Anyone walking the trails gets a sense of a wild place that is tended by loving hands. The open grassland is mowed at strategic times of year. Waterfowl find refuge in the small duck pond at the far end of the property.

Read More

A Naturalist’s Love of Wild Creatures Creates a World of Reptiles

It takes a warm-blooded naturalist to run a den of cold-blooded creatures. Gus and Shane Ben David’s World of Reptiles is now in its third year. These are the animals that will never be friendly, but they do get along. They range in size from a 21-foot, 230-pound reticulated python down to a bullfrog from Cape Cod.

Read More

An Educational Partnership That Soars

To raise a golden eagle, according to Gus Ben David, you need a way of life and time. But even he didn’t know how much time he would give to Chameli, his 40-year-old longtime educational partner.

Read More

Are You My Momma? Barn Owlets Get a Second Chance

Each spring, Gus Ben David makes sure he has a large group of hens in various stage of motherhood. He’s not doing this because he loves chicken eggs and baby chicks, though. He’s maintaining a roster of foster moms.

Read More

Cold-Stunned Kemp's Ridley Finds New Life
Aaron Wilson

A juvenile, cold-stunned Kemp’s ridley sea turtle is on the road to recovery Friday after washing up on the Chappaquiddick side of Norton Point Beach Thursday morning.

Read More

Let No Man Mess with Noman’s Land
Augustus Ben David 2nd

Once again there is pressure to spend millions of dollars to clean up Noman’s Land. And once again I say, leave it alone.

Read More

New Species of Brown Snake Discovered on Island
Aaron Wilson

Wildlife specialist Gus Ben David has been looking for Dekay’s Brownsnake (Storeria dekayi) on the Vineyard since he was a boy.

Read More

Is There a Mouse in the House? Not on Island
Aaron Wilson

An unusual story of extinction on Martha’s Vineyard revolves around a humble mouse. To be exact, the house mouse.

Read More

Great Horned Owl Joins Gus Ben David's Flock

Island naturalist Gus Ben David stopped by the Gazette Wednesday morning with a strigine guest in tow: a five-and-a-half-week-old great horned owl.

Read More

Pages