A 75-pound tortoise named “Twister” who went missing from his owner’s Nampa yard Monday –- is now back home safe.
“Twister” is one of the popular attractions at Reptile Adventures in Nampa, a reptile rescue facility.
Tyler Messina manages the facility, and was keeping the tortoise temporarily in the backyard of his home.
Employees say they suspect someone removed “Twister” from the yard -– since there was no indication he had broken out. But then, whoever presumably took him, brought him back.
“I left about 7 a.m. (Wednesday) to appear on a radio show to get the word out about ‘Twister’s’ disappearance. And when I returned home about 11:45 a.m. –- there he was in the backyard!” Messina said.
The tortoise appears to be healthy and doing well. “He seemed really hungry and really agitated. But he’s wallowing in his favorite mud hole now and feels right at home again,” Messina stated.
“Twister” has been at the facility for about a year and had his shell painted white, blue, yellow and red by previous owners -- before being surrendered.
“Twister” has been used at the rescue facility to teach people how to properly care for tortoises.
(Associated Press contributed to this story)
