Woman rescues tortoises abandoned in Hunting Park, turns reptiles in to ACCT Philly

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — A woman in Philadelphia did the right thing to help out two abandoned tortoises.

She found the reptiles in an alleyway off North American Street in the city’s Hunting Park section.

It happens to be right near the shelter for Philadelphia’s Animal Care and Control Team.

The tortoises are now at the ACCT Philly shelter and in good condition, making it all the more of a surprise why they would be abandoned.

Shelter officials say turtles are not unusual to have come into the shelter, however, sulcata tortoises are also not a common sight.

A sulcata tortoise will grow bigger than most people expect and can live to be 85 to 150 years old. The lifespan of a Russian tortoise is between 40 to 50 years old and are commonly sold at pet stores.

ACCT officials say reptiles are a commitment just like any pet.

“They truly need a committed owner with the space they need to thrive. Just because you can easily buy one doesn’t mean that you should,” they said.

The folks at ACCT Philly want to remind people to not release your exotic pets as they cannot survive. They ask for owners to contact the shelter if you can no longer take care of them yourself.

Officials say if anyone is missing their tortoises to contact the ACCT.