An 11-kilogram tortoise was found wandering alone near a local hospital Wednesday before she was brought in to the Animal Care and Control Centre (ACCC).
“[She] was found walking down the street near the Royal Alex just enjoying his day. And a citizen came up and thought, ‘This isn’t an animal that should be out and about on its own, probably needs some help,’” said Tanya Laughren, community relations advisor with the ACCC.
The shelter estimates the desert tortoise is about 10 years old.
Laughren said they have found stray turtles before, but she is the biggest one so far.
It asked people to share its Facebook post to find her owner.
“Did your 11kg tortoise dart out of the door last night when Uber Eats arrived? Or maybe your 11 kg tortoise saw a hare under a tree and decided to get a head start?”
Mystery solved
The post was shared more than a thousand times and eventually, someone claimed the 11-kilogram reptile.
“We’ve been able to identify someone who we think is the owner. We haven’t made complete confirmation yet but hopefully the owner will be able to come in this weekend,” Laughren explained.
The tortoise’s name is Torty and is a free-range reptile that hangs out in the yard.
It’s unclear how Torty escaped, but it’s believed a gate was unsecured or she left through a hole in the fence.
“At first [the owner] thought it was stolen. You do have to be careful and always supervise your pets. But they are thrilled to hear Tort (sic) is here and Tort is safe.”
More than a dozen tortoises run away each year
Dave Law with the Alberta Turtle and Tortoise Society estimates an average of 15 of these shelled-animals go missing every year in the Edmonton area.
Law said Torty is an African Spurred Tortoise, a type of tortoise that’s hard to contain.
“They’re a determined species. They don’t like being kept. In the wild, they average five miles a day,” Law said. “If something gets in their way, they’ll either try to push it down, push through it, dig under it, get over it but they don’t stop.”
Torty escaped from a rental property a week ago, according to the tenant, who said she travelled a few kilometres from her home before she was picked up near the hospital.
“For a big girl like that, to go missing for a week and no one see it, that’s amazing in itself. You can’t hide that thing, it isn’t quiet either,” he said.
Importance of microchipping pets
Torty did not have a tattoo or microchip, which prompted the ACCC to turn to social media.
Laughren said the shelter receives about 7,000 stray animals each year and is reminding people to microchip their pets.
“They’re all family members and they all want to go home. It is very important to license or microchip your dog and cat, so we can scan it, call you and get them home right away. And we don’t have to rely on you stumbling on it online,” she explained.
In the meantime, Torty is enjoying tomatoes and lettuce under a heat lamp until the owner claims her this weekend.
With files from Dan Grummett
