KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Pedestrians along 63rd Street in the Brookside neighborhood of Kansas City walk by many attractions, from cozy cafes to boutique gift shops. But one must-see sight along this busy road is a large pet tortoise named Tyrion, who calls a spacious fenced yard at Oak and 63rd streets home.
“He’s famous in the neighborhood,” said tortoise owner Bill Kalahurka. “It seems like I’m always meeting a new stranger. They’ll just come and ask a bunch of questions about him.”
The Kalahurkas adopted Tyrion from a reptile show as a hatchling, back when his shell was no bigger than a softball. Baby pictures show him lounging in a small tupperware container, his owner’s hand looking huge by comparison. Now, the tortoise weighs around 70 pounds and sports a shell nearly 2 feet long, turning heads in passing cars and delighting visitors of all ages.
