Emma, a 66-pound Sulcata tortoise from Indiana, is finally back in her shell-ter after a hair-raising adventure walking along an east-side street in Indianapolis.
A man spotted the reptile on Wednesday, making her way down English Road near Fountain Square. She was taken to St Francis Pet Hospital in Camby, where veterinarian Dr. Jessica Cox determined the tortoise was a missing pet, although she was unable to determine her age.
“These animals can live up to 150 years and weigh over 100 pounds,” Cox told FOX59/CBS4. “They can dig out from under fences or enclosures, but there is no chance he would’ve survived if he wasn’t found.”
Fox 59 morning news anchor Angela Ganote helped spread the word about the missing pet on social media, sharing photos of Emma, who had yet to be identified. Cox told the outlet that anyone who claimed the slow-moving reptile needed to present significant proof of ownership.
Luckily, on Thursday morning, both Ganote and the animal hospital announced that Emma would be returning home.
As for how the animal escaped in the first place, Ganote said in an update,” [The] owner says an Amazon driver left her gate open and she walked right out to the street. The owner was able to provide tons of photos of Emma to prove she is the owner and has Ring video of the man who found her in the street.”
Meanwhile, St. Francis Pet Hospital thanked the community for their diligence in sharing the post.
“Facebook isn't always the most positive place, but we sure do love when it is used for good and helps reunite a pet with its person,” an employee wrote on Facebook.
Tortoises – slow-moving but famously out-pacing a speedy hare through its steady strategy in one of Aesop’s best-known fables – are the longest-living land animals.
