There are many places to look for a phone number. You can use your phone contacts, the Internet or an old phone book. (Anyone still have one of those ?) How about one penned with a black Sharpie on the left side of a 2-1/2 foot long tortoise ambling aimlessly down the middle of a residential street in an upscale neighborhood?
Back story.
I was driving, looking for a street address for a client meeting when I saw a huge tortoise in the middle of the street coming toward my car. I slowed down to avoid hitting him; he stopped and looked at me. Then I noticed there was a phone number
written on the side of his shell so I parked, grabbed my camera and started chasing the tortoise up hill. It was hot, around 90 degrees, btw. A service truck came around the corner and almost squashed the poor thing. When I got within a couple feet, the tortoise swung around and sort of charged toward me. I wondered if they bite?( I'm not making any of this up) Anyway, I was trying to get a photo of the phone number so I could call the owner. The tortoise kept coming at me head on so getting the number wasn't easy. Finally I thought I had it so I headed for my client's house with the tortoise following a few feet behind me. When I looked at the photo, I realized that there was one digit missing from the number but I dialed anyway, and left messages on the order of " If you're missing a large tortoise, call me..." How Lame! Ultimately I called the animal control services to report the runaway . They asked me if could corral the tortoise until they got there. Are you kidding me? So they said they'd send someone. A hour later, an animal control officer showed up but by then the tortoise was nowhere in sight. I just hope that maybe he found his way home before a car or truck rounded a corner and made turtle soup out of him.
Oh my gosh! What an adventure! It does seem like the # was to identify his home if he was lost. We have friends who have raised a turtle from a teeny thing and it's now about 7 inches across on the shell. It likes to go out in their back yard and hang out. This tortoise has to be ancient to be that large! Amazing collage here and wonderful closeup in your other album.
wow! would the number be a serial number? maybe he escaped from prison, er, i mean from a lab or an aquarium. but that's one awesome experience. the turtle chasing you - priceless! i agree with taffy, this one has to be really ancient. soon as i saw it i was thinking more than a hundred years. and it has a really nice pattern on its shell. i like it.
We have two California Desert Tortoises we rescued from busy streets over 45 years ago, at two different tines about a year apart. Why don't people tortoise-proof their yards to keep these guys in. I know they are tremendous diggers..... Consequently, we poured cement mow curbs around our entire yard, and the gates stay locked. We would feel awful if one of our little guys wandered off. They, like our dogs, are members of the family..... and great little pets and fun to watch roam our back yard. Surely hope this guy finds another home where the people are more responsible about keeping his safe.
Did you hear back from anyone? I think there is a number between the 4 and the 3, but hard to tell what it is! What a story! It is not often that you run into one of these! I hear that they live a long time, unless of course they venture onto the street! He does seem rather upset!
@panthora No. I didn't hear back from anyone. It was so frustrating not to have been able to make out the phone number after all that. I'm hoping for the best.
What a touching story...love this guy!!! Hope you can find out what happened! Maybe a photo in the paper? (one of yours?) WOnderufl collage of him,!! "(
September 21st, 2014
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