CLEARWATER, Fla. — A tortoise is safe and sound following a "low-speed pursuit" with the Clearwater Police Department.
Officers rescued a "wayward" tortoise Wednesday after a woman found him roaming the parking lot of an apartment complex.
In a Facebook post, the department said the woman found the tortoise on Greenlea Drive near Otten Street.
"She called police and our officers found the animal trying to go on the lam at a very slow rate of speed," the department stated in the post.
After officers could "corral the critter," they discovered the animal was an African-spurred tortoise and said they didn't know if it escaped from someone's home or was dumped by someone in the area.
What are African-spurred tortoises?
According to the Central Florida Zoo, the African-spurred tortoise originates from the southern edge of the Sahara Desert in northern Africa. Also known as the Sulcata tortoise, the average size of this species ranges between 2 to 3 feet in length while reaching 200 pounds max.
"These tortoises are common in the pet trade, but many owners do not realize the extreme size they reach," zoo officials said.
These tortoises may double in size each year until they reach maturity around 15 years old, the zoo said. Officials added that they can live well over 50 or 60 years.
Their diets mainly consist of grass, plants and fruit while their natural predators tend to be opossums, raccoons and other small carnivorous mammals, according to the zoo.
What happened to the tortoise?
The Clearwater Marine Aquarium stopped by to pick up the tortoise, which officers decided to name "Shelby." The tortoise is being cared for there until it can find a new home.
