Tortoise found wandering Richmond looks for new home

A large tortoise that was found roaming around Richmond is searching for a forever home.

According to Dewdney Animal Hospital veterinarian Dr. Adrian Walton, no one has come forward to claim the sulcata tortoise, who’s being called Frank the Tank.

“[Frank] appears to be healthy, other than some evidence of shell rot that seems to be resolving,” Walton said in a video about the tortoise.

Walton notes this type of tortoise can get up to 200 lbs. and is “completely inappropriate for the vast majority of reptile owners.”

“Which is why I am reaching out to the reptile community here in British Columbia because you guys are the ones that have the knowledge base and experience to deal with an animal of this size,” he added.

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The vet says Frank is currently approximately 35 lbs., “but can easily quadruple in size to the size of a wheelbarrow.” It’s believed Frank is anywhere from eight to 15 years old.

The sulcata tortoise was found by Shelley Smith about two weeks ago. She says she first spotted Frank — who, unbeknownst to her at the time was a tortoise — in the field of bok choy next door. She thought the shape was a rock until it moved, and adds she needed the help of a nearby construction worker to move the animal.

Kahlee Demers with the Maple Ridge Community Animal Centre says the man who is fostering the tortoise decided Frank the Tank was a suitable name.

The sulcata tortoise — also known as the African spurred tortoise — is one of the largest tortoise species in the world — third after the Galapagos and Aldabra tortoise species, according to the Greater Vancouver Zoo.

The zoo, which has three of these tortoises, says they typically live in “hot arid environments like desert fringes and dry savannahs in the sub-Saharan deserts of Africa.”

They consume grasses, shrubs, and other desert plants, and can live to as much as 150 years old.

The African spurred tortoise is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as endangered, with the species’ population trend decreasing.

“They face habitat loss due to urbanization and agriculture in their region, as well as capture of young juveniles for the pet trade,” the Greater Vancouver Zoo explains.

For now, Walton tells CityNews that Frank the Tank is in the care of the BC SPCA and staying in a foster home in Maple Ridge with a person experienced in tortoise care.

As he explains, the sulcata tortoise species often end up looking for a home as they typically reproduce well in captivity and can be purchased for as low as $150 in parts of the U.S.

“People who want tortoises but don’t want to spend the money on one in Canada smuggle them across,” Walton said. “Unfortunately, these are by far the worst tortoises on the face of the planet to have as a pet … they’re oftentimes escaping, or oftentimes dumped, or surrendered because the simple fact is they outgrow what most people can have.”

Aside from issues with these tortoises escaping or outgrowing their homes, Walton says situations like this have become more of an issue since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The simple fact is, a lot of people over COVID were thinking, ‘Oh, what a wonderful time to get a pet.’ Now that conditions are changing, they’re finding these animals no longer fit their lifestyle,” he said.

“What we’re asking people is, whenever you get any type of pet, whether it’s an exotic animal or a dog or a cat, do your research. The simple fact is these animals live a lot longer than people think they do, and situations change. If you cannot provide a forever home for an animal, maybe this is not something you should acquire.”

-With files from The Canadian Press