Frank the Tank will chew through drywall and grow to the size of a wheelbarrow. He moves at his own meandering pace and will live for nearly a century – outlasting any prospective caregiver.
Caring for a 35lb sulcata tortoise is no small task, which is perhaps why Frank was recently abandoned in a patch of spinach in British Columbia. The plight of the lumbering reptile has prompted widespread sympathy as his new carers try to find him a permanent home.
Shelley Smith was at the back door of her farmhouse near the city of Richmond when she spotted a boulder poking out from rows of bok choy and spinach.
“I thought, what is that rock doing there? Because I’ve never seen it before. And then all of a sudden, it’s moving. Not fast – you had to blink a few times to see it – but it was moving.”
Smith and a group curious construction workers approached and hauled the tortoise to a turtle-shaped pool Shelley used for her dog.
“He was just so beautiful. He had these elephant-like legs and he just looked at us. When each of us spoke to him, he’d turn his head and look at you.”
Smith, a dog trainer, called the local animal shelter for assistance.
“They were trying to figure out how big he was and asked me if it was the size of a small dinner plate. I laughed and said it was bigger than the platter you’d use to serve 24 people a Thanksgiving turkey.”
The tortoise is now with a foster family until staff find a permanent home.
While Frank’s origins are a mystery, veterinarian Adrian Walton at the Dewdney animal hospital said it was relatively common for tortoises to be dumped by overwhelmed owners.
Native to the Sahara, the species is now endangered, but often smuggled for resale on the exotic species market.
“They’re relatively cheap for a tortoise – around C$500 [$365] –and so people buy them as pets. And they get to the size that he is – and quickly it becomes far more than they can handle,” said Walton, adding that people underestimate the creatures’ longevity.
“One of my pet turtles, I got when I was seven years old. It’s probably close to 65 now. And it will be passed on to my daughter and her daughter – and possibly even her daughter.”
Hundreds of people have offered to adopt Frank, but few can offer what he needs.
Tortoises require warm spaces during winter months – but have a tendency to chew through walls and dig relentlessly. They also need large spaces, like a paddock, in the summer.
“Frank has captured a lot more attention than normal, which is helpful, because it will help us find him a home. But the reality is, this is an animal that’s going to be in your will. You really have to plan on what to do with him after you die.”
