FWC searching for person who painted gopher tortoise pink
Courtesy: Port St. Lucie Animal Control
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission is asking for help identifying a suspect after a gopher tortoise was found in St. Lucie County with pink paint on its shell. The tortoise has been rescued and the paint-removal process has begun. Officers say they’ve received reports of a second tortoise with a painted shell, but have not yet found it.
According to the FWC, painting the shells of turtles and tortoises is illegal and can cause respiratory problems, allow toxic chemicals into the bloodstream, and can make them more visible to predators.
Officers are asking the public not to capture a turtle or tortoise to try to remove the paint. Instead, they ask anyone who may come in contact with a painted turtle to call the Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922.
Anyone with information about the painted tortoises is asked to call the hotline or send a tip to Tip@MyFWC.com from a cell phone.
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