A southwestern Kansas family has lost a
beloved pet, but it should be easy to spot. After all, how many
130-pound tortoises could be on the loose in the area at one time?
Tony Lowery says that Leona –
an African sulcata tortoise – and her male partner Puck broke out
of their enclosure near Greensburg about a week ago. Puck turned up
quickly, but Leona remains on the run.
The tortoises were about the size of hockey pucks when the
family got them nearly 20 years ago. The African sulcata is one of
the largest species of tortoise in the world, and the Lowerys’ two
are still growing.
Tony Lowery says Leona could be at risk from traffic on nearby
U.S. 54 and chemicals recently sprayed on farm fields.