The GREAT ESCAPE 2020

ZEROPILOT

REDFOOT WRANGLER
Moderator
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 16, 2014
Messages
28,938
Location (City and/or State)
South Eastern Florida (U.S.A.)/Rock Hill S.C.
I'd been waiting to post this pending the outcome.
72 hours ago, I noticed that I could not find the two Redfoot recently given to me by a fellow member to keep in my permanent collection.
They were being housed in a pretty sturdy, but hastily assembled large, wooden pen.
They had been acclimating great and seemed 100% healthy so I began to drop my guard a bit.
The last three days, it has rained pretty much all day. And I just tossed food into that pen and my other pen and ran back into the house. It didn't concern me much that I didn't actually see them. They are often hard to see.
Yesterday, I discovered that those two Redfoot weren't just hiding. They were actually gone. And I saw an area in a corner of that enclosure that had washed away. Leaving a perfect sized hole. And evidence that at least one tortoise had crawled through.
I've spent hours out there on my hands and knees all along the fence line. Cutting down Hibiscus plants, etc.
Nothing.
I placed signs on light poles in the neighborhood and told most of my neighbors.
Today, my lawn care guys came and I asked them to keep an eye open. About an hour later, he returned with one in his hand. Found next door. Somehow got through my privacy fence and was stuck trying to get under theirs.
Lucky because that yard has several dogs in it.
I gave him $20. Same i would've offered a neighborhood kid.
The second one was not there and I feared he'd already gotten under the fence.
These two follow each other around.
I placed a note on their door since no one was home.
I was exhausted and I took a shower. For some reason, I decided to take a look out the window and saw tortoise number 2 eating some banana that I placed on the back yard path!
She must've been disturbed from her hiding spot by all of the commotion.
Gotcha. In just a towel.
Both found.
Leaving food out has now found 2 out of 3 tortoises for me. And a second set of eyes found the other.
 
Last edited:

Cathie G

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Aug 9, 2018
Messages
14,908
Location (City and/or State)
Lancaster
I'd been waiting to post this pending the outcome.
72 hours ago, I noticed that I could not find the two Redfoot recently given to me by a fellow member to keep in my permanent collection.
They were being housed in a pretty sturdy, but hastily assembled large, wooden pen.
They had been acclimating great and seemed 100% healthy so I began to drop my guard a bit.
The last three days, it has rained pretty much all day. And I just tossed food into that pen and my other pen and ran back into the house. It didn't concern me much that I didn't actually see them. They are often hard to see.
Yesterday, I discovered that those two Redfoot weren't just hiding. They were actually gone. And I saw an area in a corner of that enclosure that had washed away. Leaving a perfect sized hole. And evidence that at least one tortoise had crawled through.
I've spent hours out there on my hands and knees all along the fence line. Cutting down Hibiscus plants, etc.
Nothing.
I placed signs on light poles in the neighborhood and told most of my neighbors.
Today, my lawn care guys came and I asked them to keep an eye open. About an hour later, he returned with one in his hand. Found next door. Somehow got through my privacy fence and was stuck trying to get under theirs.
Lucky because that yard has several dogs in it.
I gave him $20. Same i would've offered a neighborhood kid.
The second one was not there and I feared he'd already gotten under the fence.
These two follow each other around.
I placed a note on their door since no one was home.
I was exhausted and I took a shower. For some reason, I decided to take a look out the window and saw tortoise number 2 eating some banana that I placed on the back yard path!
She must've been disturbed from her hiding spot by all of the commotion.
Gotcha. In just a towel.
Both found.
Leaving food out has now found 2 out of 3 tortoises for me. And a second set of eyes found the other.
I'm sorry that's just too funny! I'm trying not to picture you in a towel retrieving an escape artist like mine. If I would do it I'd scare the neighbors half to death. Since it's near Halloween maybe not as badly.?
 

ZEROPILOT

REDFOOT WRANGLER
Moderator
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 16, 2014
Messages
28,938
Location (City and/or State)
South Eastern Florida (U.S.A.)/Rock Hill S.C.
I'm sorry that's just too funny! I'm trying not to picture you in a towel retrieving an escape artist like mine. If I would do it I'd scare the neighbors half to death. Since it's near Halloween maybe not as badly.?
And it wasn't a towel up to the job.
Luckily I have that privacy fence.
 

Cathie G

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Aug 9, 2018
Messages
14,908
Location (City and/or State)
Lancaster
And it wasn't a towel up to the job.
Luckily I have that privacy fence.
Oh my garsh... luckily I have a Russian with a lid on his enclosure cause I would do the same. I'd end up being burnt at the stake.?
 

Lyn W

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2014
Messages
23,497
Location (City and/or State)
UK
Very glad you found them and they are safely back home.
Thank goodness for your privacy fence or you may have also been safely confined in a secure place!!!;)
 

Moozillion

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Apr 26, 2012
Messages
10,744
Location (City and/or State)
Louisiana, USA
I'd been waiting to post this pending the outcome.
72 hours ago, I noticed that I could not find the two Redfoot recently given to me by a fellow member to keep in my permanent collection.
They were being housed in a pretty sturdy, but hastily assembled large, wooden pen.
They had been acclimating great and seemed 100% healthy so I began to drop my guard a bit.
The last three days, it has rained pretty much all day. And I just tossed food into that pen and my other pen and ran back into the house. It didn't concern me much that I didn't actually see them. They are often hard to see.
Yesterday, I discovered that those two Redfoot weren't just hiding. They were actually gone. And I saw an area in a corner of that enclosure that had washed away. Leaving a perfect sized hole. And evidence that at least one tortoise had crawled through.
I've spent hours out there on my hands and knees all along the fence line. Cutting down Hibiscus plants, etc.
Nothing.
I placed signs on light poles in the neighborhood and told most of my neighbors.
Today, my lawn care guys came and I asked them to keep an eye open. About an hour later, he returned with one in his hand. Found next door. Somehow got through my privacy fence and was stuck trying to get under theirs.
Lucky because that yard has several dogs in it.
I gave him $20. Same i would've offered a neighborhood kid.
The second one was not there and I feared he'd already gotten under the fence.
These two follow each other around.
I placed a note on their door since no one was home.
I was exhausted and I took a shower. For some reason, I decided to take a look out the window and saw tortoise number 2 eating some banana that I placed on the back yard path!
She must've been disturbed from her hiding spot by all of the commotion.
Gotcha. In just a towel.
Both found.
Leaving food out has now found 2 out of 3 tortoises for me. And a second set of eyes found the other.
Oh, WOW! What an ordeal!!! So glad this adventure had a happy ending!!! :)
 

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