Would like to find a santuary for Irwin 100lb Sulcata

[magnoliablossom]

Irwin (named after Steve Irwin) is a very healthy, well cared for Sulcata male approx 25-27 yrs old and approx 100lbs. He's gotten so much love and attention all these years but has grown to be too much for us. I lm not looking to sell him, nor him be used as a breeding male. I would really like to bring him to a santuary so he can roam and graze peacefully. We are moving in 2 weeks and cannot take him. PLEASE if anyone can help with info.. we live in Broward County FL.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Hello
I'm in Broward county also and unfortunately I'm not aware of any ACTUAL tortoise rescues. Just a few places calling themselves rescues.
Be very careful who you give your friend to.
There are a lot of untrustworthy individuals out there.
I suggest trying to find someone that you can check out in person that is capable of properly keeping an adult sulcata locally instead of giving him to any "tescue" that is a breeding facility or an unscrupulous reseller.
Several times over the last few decades I've searched for a real rescue from the Keys to North West Palm Beach. None of them were trustworthy. One even joined this forum briefly until I successfully ran them off.
Be careful
Best of luck to you.
Ed

 

[Sarah2020]

Irwin (named after Steve Irwin) is a very healthy, well cared for Sulcata male approx 25-27 yrs old and approx 100lbs. He's gotten so much love and attention all these years but has grown to be too much for us. I lm not looking to sell him, nor him be used as a breeding male. I would really like to bring him to a santuary so he can roam and graze peacefully. We are moving in 2 weeks and cannot take him. PLEASE if anyone can help with info.. we live in Broward County FL.

Good luck as it will be hard to say farewell. Hope you find a nice new home for Irwin.

 

[OliveW]

Hello
I'm in Broward county also and unfortunately I'm not aware of any ACTUAL tortoise rescues. Just a few places calling themselves rescues.
Be very careful who you give your friend to.
There are a lot of untrustworthy individuals out there.
I suggest trying to find someone that you can check out in person that is capable of properly keeping an adult sulcata locally instead of giving him to any "tescue" that is a breeding facility or an unscrupulous reseller.
Several times over the last few decades I've searched for a real rescue from the Keys to North West Palm Beach. None of them were trustworthy. One even joined this forum briefly until I successfully ran them off.
Be careful
Best of luck to you.
Ed

So I guess that means that you can't take him? 😢

This is just so sad. It's going to be quite difficult to find someone that will love him and has the ability to build a large enough enclosure for a 100 lb tortoise on such short notice.

@magnoliablossom can't you take him to your new place for awhile, to allow more time to find an appropriate home for him?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

So I guess that means that you can't take him? 😢

This is just so sad. It's going to be quite difficult to find someone that will love him and has the ability to build a large enough enclosure for a 100 lb tortoise on such short notice.

@magnoliablossom can't you take him to your new place for awhile, to allow more time to find an appropriate home for him?

I don't have enough free space and my current enclosures are not robust enough for a Sulcata.

 

[OliveW]

I don't have enough free space and my current enclosures are not robust enough for a Sulcata.

That's too bad because they could never find a better home than with you.

@magnoliablossom please understand that what I'm about to say is meant with respect and not meant in any condescending way. The written word sometimes comes off as harsh, as you are not able to hear the tone, and see the facial expressions of the speaker.

The thought of a paradise rescue for any animal is almost a childlike fantasy. The horrible reality is that very few places like that actually exist. The future for unwanted older animals, of any kind, is bleak.

The very best thing you can do for your tortoise is find him any good home, and completely forget about this rescue with rolling pastures that you have in your mind. It just doesn't exist in the real world. Large sulcatas are extremely difficult to place, especially males.

Please don't stipulate that he can't be used as a breeder. The most knowledgeable and dedicated people here are breeders. Very responsible breeders. Although I'm not sure anyone here is actually breeding sulcatas at the moment due to a terrible disease currently running through the species. Your tortoise may actually enjoy being bred. It's not like a puppy mill where breeding animals are kept in a little box and only brought out for that purpose. Breeders here have the best homes you could ever imagine for you tortoise. And none of them would take your baby unless they were willing and able to give it the best care possible.

We live in northern Florida, and have the space to take a large tortoise, 8 acres of fenced property, but impossible to do on a two weeks notice. We would need more like six months to prepare, as most people would. We haven't even built the permanent enclosure for our 7 lb boy yet. He is currently in a 12' x 24' enclosure, but taken on several property walks a day.

It's just too hot right now to work outside for us. My husband had a heart attack a few years back, working in the heat, so I won't let him do it anymore. We have our disabled son's deck still waiting on cooler weather as well. And, of course, we would need TWO large enclosures as we couldn't house sulcatas together. And ponds need to be dug, water lines run, large night boxes built.

I think with anyone who is going to give your tortoise the proper care and love, they will need time to prepare. The only ones who might already have space, and proper facilities already, are the breeders who you specifically disqualified.

Please, please, please reconsider your standards, in the interest of Irwin's future. He has a long life ahead of him still and you need to consider that realistically. If you really can't take Irwin wherever you're going, please at least try to find a temporary foster home while the search for a forever home goes on.

Everything I said, I said with love in my heart. I don't personally run a rescue, but every single animal I currently have, or have ever had is a rescue. I'm 58, and have never once had the joy of a baby animal in my life. Ever. Babies can find homes easily, it's the older animals that have need, and that's who I've always taken in.