37-year-old carrot-eating fish gets new home thanks to online campaign

A 30-pound, carrot-eating fish named Rufus is so loved by the community of Rosemead, Calif., that a campaign on a crowd-funding site has found him a new home, reports CBS station KCAL.

Rufus, a fish from omnivorous Pacu family, indigenous to South America, has spent the past 37 years in an aquarium at the Tikki-themed restaurant Bahookas, but after the restaurant closed last year, there was concern over where Rufus would live out his final years.

“What happens to Rufus if he isn't moved, I don’t want to think about that,” said Lynn Garrett, founder of blog Hidden LA.

So Garrett worked the phones and the Internet, and raised over $1,200 online to move Rufus.

To the relief of Rufus’ fans, Damon’s Steakhouse in Glendale, Calif., offered to take in the aging fish. However, a fish the size of Rufus requires some logistics to move.

Relocating Rufus will take a cherry picker, a trailer and possibly a new tank which could cost thousands of dollars. There’s also the concern that because of his age, Rufus could go into shock.

For Garrett, however, saving Rufus is worth it.

“He means a lot to people and he's more than just a fish,” said Garrett.