Source : Perth Now news
Police in New Jersey have launched a tongue-in-cheek hunt for the owner of a giant tortoise after the “slow-moving suspect” was found wandering loose.
A large tortoise has landed itself in police custody after embarking on a neighbourhood adventure in NJ, although its alleged getaway was rather less dramatic than most.
The Monroe Township Police Department said the shelled wanderer was discovered loose near Church Street and Academy Street in the Gloucester County community.
Officers joked that the animal was a “very slow-moving suspect” after being called to deal with the unexpected escapee.
“After a brief foot pursuit (we won), the suspect was safely taken into custody,” the department wrote.
Police are now trying to establish where the tortoise came from and reunite it with its owner.
“If this turtle belongs to you, or you know where it may have escaped from, please contact the Monroe Township Police Department or Gloucester County Animal Shelter,” the department added.
The recent slow-speed drama bears a striking resemblance to a separate tortoise escape in Colorado, where officials recently dealt with another unusually large wanderer.
On August 31, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Animal Control Officer McMullen responded to reports of a tortoise roaming loose in Littleton.
The runaway was named Lard, a Sulcata tortoise weighing just shy of 100lb, who had escaped from a fenced yard.
The sheriff’s office said Lard’s owner was present and attempted to persuade the animal to return home, but the tortoise apparently had other plans.
“Home was in one direction. Lard preferred the other,” officials wrote.
After negotiations failed, Officer McMullen and a helpful bystander stepped in to return the hefty reptile.
“With help from a kind bystander, Officer McMullen safely lifted the nearly 100-pound explorer and returned Lard home. Sometimes helping an animal means lending a hand. This time, it took a few.”
The Colorado case was eventually declared closed, with officials giving their suspect a rather fitting final label, which read: “Case status: CLOSED.
“Suspect: SHELLEBRITY”
While the New Jersey tortoise has yet to be reunited with its owner, its leisurely escape is unlikely to have resulted in a high-speed pursuit.
For now, police are simply hoping its owner comes forward before the wandering reptile decides to make another break for freedom.
