<\/p>\n
A 45-pound Sulcata tortoise was found in a Clovis North-area front yard in Fresno; family cared for it and took it to Waterhouse Animal Hospital for foster care.<\/p>\n
Courtesy photo<\/p>\n
Trevor Sadler<\/p>\n
You\u2019ve likely heard stories of a dog or cat gone missing.<\/p>\n
But how about a lost tortoise?<\/p>\n
And we\u2019re not talking about a small, pet turtle.<\/p>\n
A Fresno family earlier this week found a fairly good-sized tortoise in their front yard of a Clovis North High-area neighborhood.<\/p>\n
Weighing roughly 45 pounds and about the size of a baking sheet, this Sulcata African Spurred tortoise (as it was later confirmed to be) was believed to be someone\u2019s pet that somehow got away.<\/p>\n
Or worse, the tortoise was abandoned and dumped?<\/p>\n
Trevor Sadler, 29, was in and out of his house cleaning in preparation for the upcoming bulk trash pickup in his neighborhood when he surprisingly discovered the tortoise on his front porch.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust really caught me off guard,\u201d Sadler said. \u201cI see there\u2019s this turtle shell. Called my wife, called the rest of the family to come check it out.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce he sees me noticing him, he starts walking away. So now I\u2019m thinking, \u2018OK, it\u2019s alive. What are we supposed to do now?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Sadler and his family initially just admired the creature and gave it some lettuce after noticing it started eating weeds. Sadler\u2019s 3-year-old son approached the animal to get a closer look and the turtle \u201cdidn\u2019t get aggressive at all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Neighbors on a walk, and even some driving by, soon after stopped to notice the tortoise, too.<\/p>\n
A 45-pound Sulcata tortoise was found in a Clovis North-area front yard in Fresno; family cared for it and took it to Waterhouse Animal Hospital for foster care. Courtesy photo TREVOR SADLER <\/p>\n
One woman paused her walk to compliment the beauty of the animal, then asked Sadler\u2019s family how long they\u2019ve had the pet.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just found him,\u201d Sadler replied with a laugh.<\/p>\n
Eventually, the tortoise started wandering around the neighborhood.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was moving pretty fast,\u201d said Lisa Mabry, Sadler\u2019s mother-in-law. \u201cWe were hoping he\u2019d walk back to his home.\u201d<\/p>\n
After the tortoise crossed the street and approached a home, Sadler contacted the nearby neighbor to find out if they\u2019d lost a reptile pet.<\/p>\n
Nope.<\/p>\n
And now, it was getting late.<\/p>\n
So Sadler carried the tortoise back to his home before it got dark and decided to rehome it for the night.<\/p>\n
His wife shared photos of the missing tortoise on social media, asking if someone lost their pet.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Sadler created an isolated area for the tortoise to keep it separated from his two dogs.<\/p>\n
Then he spent a little more time with his new friend.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe walked up to me and was taking food out of my hand,\u201d Sadler said. \u201cHe listens very well; definitely made me think it was someone\u2019s pet.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt also crossed my mind that maybe someone dumped it because it was bulk trash pickup. But who would do that? He seemed very well taken care of. But I guess, you never know.\u201d<\/p>\n
The next morning, Sadler took the tortoise to a veterinary clinic \u2014 Waterhouse Animal Hospital near Champlain and Perrin avenues \u2014 and the vet said she\u2019d foster the tortoise for the time being.<\/p>\n
Turns out that pet tortoises are known to escape backyards, often digging under or climbing over barriers.<\/p>\n
A baby sulcata can cost anywhere<\/a> from $225 to as much as $5,000.<\/p>\n And a fully grown African Sulcata tortoise can grow as heavy as 150 pounds<\/a>.<\/p>\n And they\u2019re pretty much pets for life considering that these tortoises can live 80 to 100 years<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe thought about keeping it,\u201d Sadler said. \u201cBut the reality is, we didn\u2019t want someone to lose their pet.\u201d<\/p>\n A 45-pound Sulcata tortoise was found in a Clovis North-area front yard in Fresno; family cared for it and took it to Waterhouse Animal Hospital for foster care. Courtesy photo TREVOR SADLER
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