With a name like Frank the Tank, you might think nothing could stop the 16-kilogram sulcata tortoise, but wandering alone on farmland near Richmond, B.C., certainly slowed him down.
Shelley Smith was one of the first to spot Frank moving slowly in a field of bok choy near her house about two weeks ago, just before the Thanksgiving holiday.“I was like, ‘Oh … It’s a freaking turtle wandering along very slowly,” said Smith. “I am like, ‘I can’t leave you here.'”
One of the construction workers helped her pick up the tortoise and it was placed in a plastic kiddie pool that she originally bought for her dog.“We’re all petting him, and his feet were massive. They look like elephant feet,” she said, adding that it was an awesome experience to have a close encounter with a tortoise.
When the SPCA later asked on the phone about the animal’s size, possibly comparing it to a small plate, Smith had to correct their assumptions.“It’s the size of a giant serving platter that you are going to put a turkey that you have cooked for 24 people,” she recalled telling them.Frank was picked up by the society and went on to an animal hospital in Maple Ridge for a health check. The Maple Ridge Community Animal Centre later provided foster care.
Dr. Adrian Walton, lead veterinarian and owner of Dewdney Animal Hospital, said when Frank was first brought in, he appeared to be a bit on the quiet and lethargic side.The tortoise is endangered in its native Africa, but Walton said they lay many eggs and juveniles sold in Canada can range in price from $450 to $750, he said. They are often smuggled in, he added.Sulcata tortoises can live 100 to 150 years and reach up to 90 kilograms and are “very curious and strong diggers,” Walton said.
Demers said tons of people have already reached out, saying they want to adopt Frank, but they are only accepting applications from people who are experienced reptile owners.Vancouver to get its first ‘scramble’ pedestrian crosswalkMontreal’s Lebanese community say they’re on edge amid conflict in Middle East
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Tortoise, Frank the Tank, found wandering in a B.C. field of bok choy needs homeVANCOUVER — With a name like Frank the Tank, you might think nothing could stop the 16-kilogram sulcata tortoise, but wandering alone on farmland near Richmond, B.C., certainly slowed him down.
Read more »
Tortoise, Frank the Tank, found wandering in a B.C. field of bok choy needs homeVANCOUVER — With a name like Frank the Tank, you might think nothing could stop the 16-kilogram sulcata tortoise, but wandering alone on farmland near Richmond, B.C., certainly slowed him down.
Read more »
Tortoise, Frank the Tank, found wandering in a B.C. field of bok choy needs homeVANCOUVER — With a name like Frank the Tank, you might think nothing could stop the 16-kilogram sulcata tortoise, but wandering alone on farmland near Richmond, B.C., certainly slowed him down.
Read more »
Tortoise, Frank the Tank, found wandering in a B.C. field of bok choy needs homeVANCOUVER — With a name like Frank the Tank, you might think nothing could stop the 16-kilogram sulcata tortoise, but wandering alone on farmland near Richmond, B.C., certainly slowed him down.
Read more »
Tortoise, Frank the Tank, found wandering in a B.C. field of bok choy needs homeVANCOUVER — With a name like Frank the Tank, you might think nothing could stop the 16-kilogram sulcata tortoise, but wandering alone on farmland near Richmond, B.C., certainly slowed him down.
Read more »
Lost tortoise dubbed ‘Frank the Tank’ found wandering in B.C. bok choy fieldA Maple Ridge Community Animal Centre manager says it’s the first time a tortoise has been brought into their shelter, describing him as ‘stoic, docile and large’
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