Wayward tortoise visits newspaper, seeking home
Lew K. Cohn/The Highlander
A sulcata tortoise found his way to the newspaper parking lot Wednesday, Oct. 2. The tortoise was turned over to Marble Falls Police Department's animal control officer until its owner can be located. Call animal control at 830-693-3611 to offer information.
By Lew K. Cohn
Managing Editor
Sulcata tortoises are not indigenous to the Highland Lakes — they are more common to the southern Sahara desert and the savannas of Africa. However, someone forgot to tell that to one beautiful specimen who paid a visit to The Highlander office Wednesday, Oct. 2.
The unidentified chelonian, which weighed more than 80 pounds and was more than two feet in length, crawled up from the wooded area between Highlander Circle and Gateway Circle on an apparent mission to find either food or a mate, as sulcata tortoises typically breed between September and November.
Marble Falls Animal Control Officer Jacey Ferguson took the tortoise into protective custody and said the runaway appears to have been someone's pet that has been out on its own for a while. . . .
Find the rest of this story in the Friday, Oct. 4 issue of The Highlander, the newspaper of record for the Highland Lakes. To offer a comment or news tip, email lew@highlandernews.com. To subscribe to the publication, call 830-693-4367 or click here to subscribe to our E-edition online.
