Two Galapagos Tortoises in danger after being stolen from Florida zoo
Credit: St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park
ST AUGUSTINE, Fla. - Two juvenile Galápagos Tortoises who require special diets and supplements are in danger after they were stolen from the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park.
The zoo said the tortoises were stolen on November 30 and cannot be outside in Florida during winter.
Both tortoises were captive-born at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in 2017.
"If someone you know came home with a large black tortoise this week, it was not purchased legally. This species is NOT available in the pet trade, and they will get to be 600Ibs! They cannot be outside on these cooler nights, even in Florida," the zoo said in a Facebook post.
The zoo said it's taken years for them to "successfully" hatch the Galápagos tortoise, and they were slated to be part of a Species Survival Plan that makes sure that the endangered species is around for more generations to come.
If anyone has any information on the tortoises' whereabouts, contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife or the St. Augustine Police.