14 DAY TRIAL // Back in last year's October, some tourists removed two rare tortoises from the wild while vacationing in Florida.
They later said that they meant no harm, and that they only took the animals from their natural habitat and brought them home in Arkansas because they were concerned about their health.
On its website, the Humane Society of the United States details that the two reptiles involved in this incident were gopher tortoises.
This species is currently considered to be a threatened one, and therefore benefits from legal protection.
Otherwise put, picking them up from the ground and taking them home is by no means the right thing to do, even if the tortoises do not look all that well. If one cannot simply walk away, one can always alert wildlife experts.
The Society details that the two tortoises have been rescued, and that they are now looked after by the organization.
Due to the fact that nobody can say for sure where their home in the wild is, and also because they might have been exposed to various other animals, maybe even diseases, while hanging out with the tourists, the reptiles are to remain in captivity.