Abbotsford’s Reptile Guy Mike Hopcraft rescued a turtle and a tortoise last week that had holes drilled into their shells and handles attached to their bodies.
The animals’ owner, who lives in Delta, had attached the handles so that he could carry the 25-to 30-pound sulcata tortoise and so that he could leash the box turtle when he left it outside, Hopcraft told The Sun.
“He mutilated these animals to make his life easier,” Hopcraft said.
The handles are held in place by wires, which are tightly secured through four holes in each of the animals’ shells.
The turtle also has a jewel glued to its shell, which Hopcraft has so far been unable to remove.
The tortoise, which is still growing, cannot lift itself off the ground to walk properly, Hopcraft said.
“The tortoise just drags itself around — I don’t know if it doesn’t have the muscle mass, or what,” Hopcraft said. “I have never seen anything like this before.”
After speaking with the reptiles’ owner, Hopcraft said, he was so upset he was shaking.
“The turtle is underweight, its beak is overgrown and its claws need to be clipped,” Hopcraft said.
Hopcraft intends to add the tortoise to his education program if it is found to be healthy, and the turtle will probably go to the Greater Vancouver Zoo if Hopcraft can get the jewel off its shell.
Hopcraft has a rescue and education program for exotic and rare animals called The Reptile Guy. His presentations subsidize the rescue effort, but recent legal changes banning some exotic animals have meant he will cease operation in December unless an alternate source of funding is found.
For more information about The Reptile Guy, visit reptileguy.ca.