Spike in Giant Sulcata Tortoise Thefts Worries Owners
Malibu, CA – September 24, 2014 – American Tortoise Rescue (ATR), Malibu, CA, is seeing a nationwide spike in the theft of giant tortoises commonly called sulcatas. Owners from California and Ohio to Chicago and South Carolina are heartbroken when their large pets are stolen right out of their yards.
Geochelone sulcata is a hardy and personable species of tortoise. Native to sub-Saharan Africa, it one of the most commonly purchased pet tortoises in North America. Because sulcatas are the third largest species of tortoise in the world, weighing up to 200 pounds, they are attractive to thieves who mistakenly think they can easily resell the animal for a hefty price at a swap meet or on Craigslist.com. The typical stolen tortoise is between 30 and 75 pounds. They are extremely heavy and awkward to carry, often necessitating the theft to be done by two people with a pickup truck. Injuries to the stolen tortoise are frequent.
According to Susan Tellem, who co-founded the national nonprofit with her husband Marshall Thompson in 1990, "One of the saddest thefts was from a disabled person who saw the theft as it was happening but could not chase after the thieves." It has not been recovered.
The sulcata is extremely strong and destructive so Tellem thinks it won’t take the thieves long before they try to dump the animal through a quick sale. She recommends some tactics to try and recover a purloined pet.
- Quickly post signs in the neighborhood asking if people saw the thief or his or her vehicle. It’s easy to remember if someone saw a person carrying a huge tortoise.
- Scan CraigsList.com and other online sites where thieves might advertise a tortoise.
- Post “lost pet” posters at local pet stores, animal rescues and shelters, veterinarian offices, swap meets, police departments and tortoise group meetings.
"This is a very sad trend we are seeing. What these tortoise thieves don’t know is that - because we are overrun with them - sulcatas can be adopted from a rescue for just a small donation. For thieves, it’s a waste of their time trying to sell a sulcata when we are up to our eyeballs in them. On the brighter side, the rambunctious sulcatas trample plants, destroy enclosures, eat everything in sight and poop like a German Shepherd. I think this is perfect payback for someone so mean as to steal someone’s pet.”
American Tortoise Rescue (ATR), Malibu, Calif., is a nonprofit founded in 1990 to provide for the protection of all species of tortoise and turtle. It provides permanent sanctuary to abandoned and lost tortoises, as well as those that are confiscated from law enforcement. Celebrate World Turtle Day™ which ATR founded in 2000 each year on May 23rd. For more information, contact: American Tortoise Rescue at www.tortoise.com; email info@tortoise.com; like on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AmericanTortoiseRescue; and follow on Twitter @Tortoiserescue.
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