Unknown Vandal Spray Paints Tortoises, Prank Leaves Animals Ailing and in Need of Constant Care

Unknown Vandal Spray Paints Tortoises, Prank Leaves Animals Ailing and in Need of Constant Care https://ift.tt/a6oBJxp

Two gopher tortoises were spray painted with bright colors in Naples, Florida, causing a local conservancy to rush to their aid

Conservancy of Southwest Florida

Gopher tortoise rescued by the Conservancy of Southwest Florida

An act of vandalism could have a lasting effect on a pair of gopher tortoises in southwest Florida. 

The Conservancy of Southwest Florida in Naples originally shared in a Nov. 22 Facebook post that the animals arrived at the organization after an unknown individual spray-painted the pair, which could lead to future health issues for the animals.

The Conservancy also shared pictures of the tortoises. In one, a tortoise's shell is painted half hot pink and half royal blue. A second tortoise is painted gold and pink. Staffers also noted that one of the tortoises had paint on the top of its head and back right leg.

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Conservancy of Southwest Florida

Gopher tortoise rescued by Conservancy of Southwest Florida after being spray painted

“Paint on any turtle shell is problematic because the carapace is bone, which is living tissue,” the Conservancy’s official Facebook page shared. “By covering the carapace with paint, it affects the turtle from absorbing UV light, which can deform the shell along with being absorbed into the bloodstream. There is also the chance for a respiratory infection because of how strong paint smells and there is a high chance that the paint that was used was sprayed onto the tortoise. This means that the tortoise was inhaling the paint fumes.”

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Upon initial inspection, Conservancy veterinarians noted that “there were no apparent injuries and the tortoises were in good health.” 

The organization has begun the lengthy process of removing the paint from the tortoises’ shells using a gentle scrubbing technique performed in stages as, “It can be very stressful for the tortoise.” 

The Conservancy shared a video to Facebook on Nov. 27 of the procedure, noting that the tortoises “are doing well and slowly recovering under our care.”

Once the paint is entirely removed and the animals are assessed for injuries and illness, the Conservancy hopes to “release them back to the wild.”

For now, the animals are living together in the Conservancy’s reptile room. The gopher tortoise is listed as a “threatened” species in Florida.