A rare 100-pound tortoise stolen from a Queens environmental center has been recovered by police. The tortoise was stolen from the Alley Pond Environmental Center on July 17.
A person who purchased the tortoise called police, thinking it could have been stolen. The 111th precinct recovered the reptile and brought it back to the station house for a photo op and revelries. The environmental center was happy about the reunion. Police are still investigating the case, as reported by PIX11.
The African spurred tortoise is the largest tortoise living in mainland environments. Its enclosure was found forced open. Police were called after a reptile trade occurred in a Connecticut train station. A man wanted to trade the large tortoise for a musk turtle. The man looking to trade the tortoise wasn’t apprehended.
Animal rights group PETA offered a $5,000 reward for the safe return of the tortoise and the arrest and conviction of the person who abducted it.
Millennium the tortoise—who could be as old as 100 years—is a main attraction at the Alley Pond Environmental Center. The center specializes in providing a natural environment in New York City to appreciate nature, and hosts many educational programs. The center is located in a park with fresh and saltwater marshes, ponds, forests, and meadows. The park hosts hundreds of bird species, along with other animals.
