Photo via Phil's Berry Farm Facebook
Dots
When his two beloved tortoises went missing last Friday night, one South Florida farm owner knew something bad had happened: Tortoises don't make great runaways.
Phil Marraccini, owner of
Phil's Berry Farm in South Miami Dade, says he's sure his 65-pound tortoises were stolen, reports the
Miami Herald.
Speedy and Dots both weigh around 65 pounds and are over 25 years old, but in tortoise-time, they're basically babies. According to
National Geographic, tortoises can live to be more than 150 years old.
Usually, the farm has cameras that would have identified a thief, but they weren't functioning that night.
Marraccini thinks the motive for the crime is money. The reptiles are worth $800 to $1,000 each. But to this farm, Speedy and Dots are more than dollar values: They're family members.
The farm has contacted Miami-Dade police and
posted on social media for help.
Marraccini says that he's offering a reward for the tortoises' safe return and for any information that will help police find the reptiles.