Rescued tortoise becomes zoo ambassador
Latest zoo ambassador teaches proper pet considerations
Submitted Photo Wilson, an African Spurred Tortoise, has a new home at Roosevelt Park Zoo after having been found in the North Dakota wild.
Submitted Photo Wilson is shown at right, next to a dollar bill. At left is Shelby, the zoo’s other African Spurred Tortoise.
Submitted Photo Wilson, an African Spurred Tortoise, has a new home at Roosevelt Park Zoo after having been found in the North Dakota wild.
Submitted Photo Wilson is shown at right, next to a dollar bill. At left is Shelby, the zoo’s other African Spurred Tortoise.
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An African Spurred Tortoise rescued from Lake Sakakawea will be helping Roosevelt Park Zoo educate the public on choosing pets wisely.
According to a release from the zoo, a fisherman this summer on Lake Sakakawea spotted something unusual floating on a log. The fisherman rescued a tortoise by boat and turned over its care to North Dakota Game and Fish, which contacted Roosevelt Park Zoo. The newest resident has been named Wilson.
A tortoise is not likely to swim. An African Spurred Tortoise is not likely to survive a winter in North Dakota without shelter. It is suspected that Wilson was a pet that escaped or was released.
As a hatchling, an African Spurred Tortoise can fit in the palm of a human hand. Over their 80 to 100 year lifespans, the tortoises have specific dietary and shelter requirements and females can grow to be 90 pounds while males can reach 200 pounds.
Wilson is the second African Spurred Tortoise on the ambassador team at the zoo. Animal ambassadors help the zoo promote its mission by taking conservation education off zoo grounds and into the community.
A lesson can be learned from this tortoise before it enters its first classroom. The listen is about making well educated choices about the pets you choose for your home.