The search for two endangered tortoises stolen from the Indianapolis Zoo has come to an end after the pair was found unharmed, officials said.
An Egyptian tortoise and a Northern Spider tortoise, both of which are on the critically endangered species list, were taken from their enclosure in the zoo’s desert exhibit between 10 a.m. local time on October 11 and 10 a.m. on October 12, Indiana State Police say.
Captain Ron Galaviz with the Indiana State Police confirmed to Fox 59 that the tortoises were not reported missing until last Thursday, 11 days after they vanished.
On Monday, authorities asked for the public’s help in finding the two tortoises in a Facebook post.
One day later, Indiana State Police announced they were found “safe and uninjured” in Falls Park in Pendleton, Indiana, about 40 miles from the zoo.
Park visitors stumbled upon an “unattended cardboard box” covered by a paper plate with a note referencing the Indianapolis Zoo. Inside the box, the visitors saw the two missing tortoises and immediately called the local police department.
“The tortoises were later positively identified as the two reported stolen after having their microchips scanned by Zoo personnel,” state police said in a Tuesday release.
The incident remains under investigation.
After the tortoises went missing, Facebook users questioned how the theft could’ve happened.
“I’m curious how exactly you steal not one but TWO tortoises from a Zoo?” one user wrote.
To which another replied, “We recently went to the Indianapolis zoo and they’re not in a really closed encounter. They’re just smack in the middle with very accessible fence type thing you could reach in and pick it up.”
“How do you walk out of the zoo with 2 turtles? That must be a big rain coat,” a third user commented.
But Galaviz explained the tortoises stolen were rather small.
“The tortoises are not the large giant tortoises that you see people sitting on and riding around on,” he told Fox 59. “These are actually very small, probably fit in the palm of your hand.”
According to the zoo’s website, the Egyptian tortoises are typically four inches long and weigh one pound, and are endangered due to habitat loss and pet trade. Northern Spider tortoises, which are five inches long and weigh one pound, suffer from habitat loss and poaching.
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