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Moment of fame for Zeus the Moose

Zeus the moose in 2003, ridden by Tom Butterfield (File photograph)

Zeus the Moose — who has stood outside Masterworks Museum for more than a decade — has been highlighted in a Toronto newspaper.

In a story in Friday’s edition of The Star, reporter Sonia Day said she stumbled across Zeus last November while visiting the island, describing him as the “luckiest” Toronto moose.

She wrote: “While most of his compatriots have wound up braving the elements in decidedly chilly terrain — like a plaza outside the windswept CN Tower, or the roof of a Toronto glass factory — that hasn’t happened to this splendid example of moosy manhood.”

Zeus was one of 300 fibreglass moose made to celebrate the millennium and painted by Canadian artists.

Tom Butterfield, the founder of the Masterworks Museum, bought Zeus in a 2003 auction, and he has resided outside Masterworks ever since.

However the article notes he has enjoyed several new coats of paint over the past 15 years — while Zeus was originally decorated with the Northern lights, he now sports Bermuda shorts and a bright floral shirt.

Mr Butterfield was quoted: “We’ve repainted him several times in a variety of ways. We have to, because the paint fades in the sun here, no matter how many coats of ultraviolet varnish you put on.”