WA Police have recovered a second rare tortoise taken from its enclosure at Perth Zoo in 2011 after the animal was allegedly stolen again, this time during a home burglary.
Two endangered Madagascan radiated tortoises were reported missing from the zoo in 2011.
One of the animals was found in a chance discovery at a home in Perth's northern suburbs earlier this month by a hawk-eyed police officer attending to a reported burglary.
Police suspected the second reptile had also been at the property but may have been stolen a second time during the burglary.
Warwick Police found the tortoise at a house in Greenwood last night and arrested the alleged thief, a 35-year-old woman.
She has been charged with stealing and trespass after allegedly taking the animal from the Girrawheen property.
Meanwhile, a 29-year-old Girrawheen man has been charged with possessing stolen or unlawfully obtained goods at the house, after the tortoises were removed from the zoo.
Zoo surprised tortoises survived
Perth Zoo senior veterinarian Simone Vitali said the recovery of the reptiles was "extraordinary" and that staff had given up hope that they would ever be found.
She said it was a surprise the tortoises had survived for seven years without expert care.
"They don't turn on a dime, they're very slow to get sick and they're very slow to recover from stress," Ms Vitali said.
"We'll be looking at them very closely and seeing how they transition back to our diet.
"They've got a few injuries to their shells that we'll need to start managing."
The tortoises will spend 30 days in quarantine.
A WA Police spokeswoman said officers were always keeping an eye out for things which did not seem quite right.
She said the first tortoise which was recovered in Girrawheen certainly looked out of place strutting around the property's backyard.
The animal was taken to a vet and a scan uncovered a microchip which revealed it was one of the zoo's missing tortoises.
Security beefed up at zoo after thefts
Ms Vitali said the tortoise exhibit was changed dramatically after the animals were taken in 2011 so there was no longer any open-air access.
A security guard has also been employed to temporarily patrol the zoo.
The return of the second tortoise comes just days after another heist at the zoo involving the disappearance of a four-week-old baby meerkat.
The meerkit popped its head up again on Friday when it was found by police in the Wheatbelt town of Beverley, about 130 kilometres south-east of Perth.
Environment Minister Stephen Dawson said WA Police were helping to assess the security of enclosures across the zoo.
"We're looking at increasing cameras around the zoo, we're looking at strengthening the enclosures that we've got," he said.
Mr Dawson said people faced severe penalties for taking animals from the zoo.
"Don't do stupid things, don't spoil it for the rest of the community," he said.
A 22-year-old man is set to be charged with stealing the baby meerkat and a 23-year-old woman with receiving the stolen goods.
Meerkit back with family
Zoo staff said the baby meerkat was stressed and hungry when found, but was now back with its family and recovering well.
"We're trying to work as fast as we can to get it onto an adult diet because it really has weaned too early," Ms Vitali said.
"It's been really encouraging, it's gaining weight."
The meerkit is now being housed with its family again, although zoo keepers are concerned about its diet.
Having been removed from its mother, the infant was weaned much sooner than it otherwise would have.
To compensate, keepers are working to have it eating an adult diet as soon as possible.
