# Need advice..rescued tortoise..



## Tony the tank (Jul 4, 2013)

Well I was at a house I am having built... And my wife screams ..I come running and see a rather lg raccoon dragging a tortoise across the yard.. I quickly try to scare it off.. It lets it go.. And I leave them be.. But les than a hr later the raccoon is again dragging the tortoise out of the field into the brush.. I seperate them again but the racoon comes right back.... With a hose I was able to force back the raccoon ..and placed the tortoise in a container and took him to my other residence..... 

I need some advice on what to do... I know I need to return him to the original place but I'm concerned he is easy pray for the raccoon.. 

Thoughts opinions..


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## wellington (Jul 4, 2013)

Little more info would help. What kind of tortoise, is it injured, if injured, does it seem healthy otherwise? Is it native to your area or could it be someone's pet?


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## JoesMum (Jul 4, 2013)

Is the tortoise injured? If you post pictures we can tell you if it is a native or somebody's escaped pet.


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## Tony the tank (Jul 4, 2013)

I believe it's a gopher tortoise..... No visible injuries but he was being dragged around pretty violently...


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## wellington (Jul 4, 2013)

I think if it were me, I would keep it for a few days to make sure it seems healthy and eating and then put it back in the area you found it, but not the exact same place. However, I have no idea about any possible laws about taking and keeping it for a while. But really, who would know anyway.


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## Tony the tank (Jul 4, 2013)

I intend to bring him back.. But wondering what I can do to keep him from getting eaten...


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## zman7590 (Jul 4, 2013)

set out a live trap with a can of tuna and a scoop of peanut butter in it....next day the coon will be caught ....then take it far far away and release... 


remember the coon is just surviving. he doesnt know its wrong. if you put tuna out he will grab it in a heartbeat!


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## Tony the tank (Jul 4, 2013)

I thought of that.. But the house being built is in a very rural area.... And the place is loaded with all sorts of animal.. (racoons ,Wild pigs, black bear, rattle snakes, armadillos) .... I have a good piece of property (20 acres).. Was thinking releasing him on the very edge of the property... But wondering how far I can move him without stressing him out.... I have seen quite a few burrows.. Throughout the property ... And I know there is at least another 4-5 tortoises within the fence line...


Would it be safe to release him lets say a few acres away from where he was being attacked... One of his burrows is compromised as it appeared as the coon dug in and pulled him out


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## zman7590 (Jul 4, 2013)

to be honest if you let him go 20 acres away the coon could find him again...what if you just kept him as a pet!!!!


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## Tony the tank (Jul 4, 2013)

Can't really keep him as a pet as they are a protected species..... Plus I'm afraid [/i]my sulcatas will hurt him...if he wanders into there area..


Well after some reading seem I can't move him without permission... So I'm thinking I'm going to rebuild his burrow in a fashion to keep the coon from being able to dig him out...

Thinking a 4x4 piece of sheet metal with a hole just slightly bigger than the tortoise shell... Buried about foot or two down in the burrow entranceway .. So the coon can't get through the hole... It may not help when he is out and about but might increase his chances...

Thoughts opinions


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## Terry Allan Hall (Jul 4, 2013)

My suggestion will likely not go over well...the racoon will not give up, so it must be taken very far away or be destroyed. OTOH, another may take Coon #1's place, eventually.

If you have a large outside dog, the racoon will stay away, and some dogs ignore tortoises, but some don't.


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## ascott (Jul 4, 2013)

yeah, that raccoon will be there waiting for that tort....how large is the tort?

I am with Terry, there is one of two choices here---the raccoon or the tort---there is no other outcome....the raccoon will gut that shell piece by piece while the tort is alive, they do it all of the time....as said also, the raccoon has found an easy meal and there is no reason to think it will not continue to do its tortoise grazing if left to do so.

If you are able to relocate the tort to your property (taking into account the wild life in and surrounding your property) I would do that, hell, the tort is likely already stressed ALOT by being dragged off knowing exactly what is going to happen to it....

Trapping and relocating a raccoon that already has the knowledge of how to devour a tort will do no good...also, you now know your have a healthy population of raccoons and so you can also take precautions to assure your torts do not also become victims....after all, when an animal becomes too fearless it can become a hazardous neighbor...raccoons are very vicious and do, can and will be aggressive to people if they become comfortable enough...a noisy energetic dog that can be separated from your torts is a good critter to annoy a raccoon...


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## Tony the tank (Jul 4, 2013)

Well the tort was returned to the property... And released....a short time later the raccoon came out of the brush and walked right towards me and my dog like he didn't care... So I'm sad to say I put it down..... Before everyone gets upset I want to say it was obviously sick... My first encounter with him yesterday was during the day and he showed no fear not even running away when I hit him with the hose... Today he marched right out of the brush and walked right towards me and my dog like we werent there...and my dog 139lb Rottweiler was letting him know he wasn't wanted there but kept coming....Not what I wanted but really no choice...as I will be moving my sulcatas there in a few weeks when the contractor fences off an acre for them....


On a side note... There seems to be alot of gopher tortoises there .. Will that be an issue for my sulcatas..


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## mike taylor (Jul 4, 2013)

I would say it would be the other way around your sulcatas will be a problem for them . I would try to build there enclosure away from any gopher tortoise homes . If at all possible after all they have been there doing there thing longer than you. Not to be mean . 

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## lynnedit (Jul 4, 2013)

I'm glad you did that raccoon in, he sounds odd anyway. We still have plenty of raccoons out there, but tortoises are in shorter and shorter supply.
Your place sounds like it is going to be amazing.


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## zman7590 (Jul 4, 2013)

like i said earlier...catch coon problem solved....once you own a live trapyou can keep catching coons and bringing em far away or see if they can swim in the cage...


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## ascott (Jul 4, 2013)

I think that the two torts will coexist just fine....I would kinda make sure that your fencing does not cut off any access for the wild torts in the area....

Sounds as though you did what was needed, I had a raccoon chase me down in a parking lot once, it was stiff and pissed and had a weird look in its eyes....well, that was the last thing I saw just before I broke and ran and leaped into the bed of the truck we had parked in the parking lot....yes, once of my less dignified life moments---I had nothing in hand to thwart his advances....lol so the fight or flight kicked in and I had no choice but to take flight (like a big ole sissy girl....)


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## Terry Allan Hall (Jul 5, 2013)

mike taylor said:


> I would say it would be the other way around your sulcatas will be a problem for them . I would try to build there enclosure away from any gopher tortoise homes . If at all possible after all they have been there doing there thing longer than you. Not to be mean .
> 
> Sent from my C771 using TortForum mobile app



Yeah, the two species should not mingle...your sulcatas could pass on a pathogen that is perfectly harmless to them, but fatal to the gopher torts.


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## Yvonne G (Jul 5, 2013)

If you have a fence to keep the sulcatas contained, it will also keep the gopher tortoises out. They probably won't come into contact with each other. Have you seen the pictures Greg (Aldabraman) put up? He shows a gopher tortoise on the outside of his aldabran pen. They can live in harmony...one on each side of the fence.

And good for you to have put the raccoon out of his misery. He have been rabid.


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## zman7590 (Jul 5, 2013)

just build a mini dome over its burrroww and feed it every dayy


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## cemmons12 (Jul 5, 2013)

bye bye coon! Long live the tort!


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## Vickie (Jul 5, 2013)

Geez that Raccoon doesn't sound right however, it brings back a memory of mine from a few yrs back that sent me a running as well. We were out fishing with our boys and our dogs. All of a sudden I heard a hissing sound..at first I was almost to scared to look thinking it was a snake which is one of my worst fears. LOL Anyway, finally looked over to see a raccoon possibly 1ft from me. I totally freaked out, dropped my pole, grabbed my dog near me and told the boys to run. My hubby had his back to us and turned to find out the commotion to see the raccoon chasing us all the way back to the car! Next thing you know hubby started throwing rocks at it to scare it off however, it didn't faze him in the least! So to make this long story shorter we ended up going back picking up fishing supplies and left asap. To this day we wonder was the thing rabid or was it a hand raised young one? It obviously wasn't full sized however, had NO fear of man what so ever.


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## SANDRA_MEISSNEST (Jul 5, 2013)

U have to shoot the coon

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## Tony the tank (Jul 5, 2013)

Well was at the property today.... Now that I'm paying attention.. The place is loaded with gopher tortoises and burrows... My wife and I decided to mark them to,see how many there are ...Today we marked( numbered) 6 in about 3 hrs... And saw 2 more on the dirt road...

I also noticed that there are now two burrows on the east side of the house foundation.... Which is a problem as I'm fencing (wooden privacy fence with charged wire for the climbers)one acre around the house ( meaning the burrow will be inside the fence line) the remaing property will be field fencing..

Anyone have any recommendation..On one hand I don't want them to catch or pass any pathogens to my Sulcatas... And on another hand.. They will be well protected within the fence line..

Thoughts Opinions


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## ascott (Jul 5, 2013)

The ones that are at the house foundation: have you smoothed the entrance way and then leave and then check back a couple times a day for a week or two and see if they are active burrows? Sometimes they can be abandoned....if you find that they are not active--problem solved, if you find that they are active then you have an issue again---


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## Tony the tank (Jul 5, 2013)

ascott said:


> The ones that are at the house foundation: have you smoothed the entrance way and then leave and then check back a couple times a day for a week or two and see if they are active burrows? Sometimes they can be abandoned....if you find that they are not active--problem solved, if you find that they are active then you have an issue again---




I'm pretty sure there active burrows.. As the house was just built 5 month ago.. I placed leaves in the openings and will take notice next time I head back up.. It's hard to see any prints as it been raining a lot lately... 

Fence guy says he can fence off that section of the yard from the rest to keep the torts seperated and place a access tunnel under the fence so the gophers can leave the property if they want...seems like the way to go..

I must admit I have grown quite fond of the few I have seen.. Very inquisitive .. They will walk right under foot without fear.....


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## ascott (Jul 5, 2013)

> Fence guy says he can fence off that section of the yard from the rest to keep the torts seperated and place a access tunnel under the fence so the gophers can leave the property if they want...seems like the way to go..
> 
> I must admit I have grown quite fond of the few I have seen.. Very inquisitive .. They will walk right under foot without fear.....



Hector, I was so happy to read this....I am a bit partial to these guys as well


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## Jacqui (Jul 6, 2013)

I think moving the planned fenced area is what you will have to do, so glad that's now the plan. I am not up on the gopher laws but thought just as you can not relocate them, you also can not fence them in (which was your first unknowing plan).

As for the coon, while I think they are cute animals to watch, I think killing it was the way to go. I live in the country and it is no fun to have to deal with a semi tamed, use to mankind, raccoon that became a problem in the city so they brought it out to the country to "live free". Instead those poor animals have a rough time of making it in a new territory and we humans have a new "human educated" pest to deal with. Sometimes death is not as bad, as the reality of what their life might become.


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## Madkins007 (Jul 7, 2013)

Yeah- as you noted, there are laws about our native American tortoises that we must follow- even when it is unpopular.


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## ascott (Jul 7, 2013)

> I am not up on the gopher laws but thought just as you can not relocate them, you also can not fence them in (which was your first unknowing plan).


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## Tony the tank (Jul 8, 2013)

I was aware of the fencing requirements... Only reason I even thought of the fence with the tunnels underneath was to avoid having to relocating them and to give them some extra protection from predation..


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## ascott (Jul 8, 2013)

> Only reason I even thought of the fence with the tunnels underneath



I think you are right on with this....I too would want to avoid any silly relocation action---usually turns out horrible for the tort....you will also enjoy them as a wild tort to observe---very nice indeed


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## thatrebecca (Jul 10, 2013)

I can't help thinking what wonderful serendipity it is that tort lovers are the ones moving into this property -- both for the humans and for the native torts, who are obviously being treated with respect and care.


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## Laura (Jul 10, 2013)

If its a known population, Im surprised they are allowing you to build.. but I also think its cool they are there and you wont hurt them.. will try to protect them.. I hope they don't get sick from anything tho...


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## Tony the tank (Jul 10, 2013)

When we started to build..I needed to bring a specialist in to identify and mark burrows... There were 8 closest was 120 ft from build site... Temp fencing was put up to keep them out of harms way.. As required ...But they get through..... 

On another note.. The burrows have been vacant since the raccoon incident as I marked the entrance to see if there was any foot traffic (  ) in and out...


Laura.. They let you relocate them if there under foot.... But you need a reason ( could be anything really) .. I believe the permit is $$$ and they tell you were to move them to.. Before this you had a choice pay to move them or pay to entomb them( bury them alive and revenue collected on the permits was used to bring the population back. < makes no sense..)


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## ascott (Jul 10, 2013)

> Before this you had a choice pay to move them or pay to entomb them( bury them alive and revenue collected on the permits was used to bring the population back. < makes no sense..)



Same as the yahoos here in California that think we are all idiots about the CDT---lets list them as protected, but then let the military consume their little area of habitat that remain --oh wait, if that does not work to do them in then lets build solar plants and express rail systems right through those few places....no sense is putting it politely....


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## mainey34 (Jul 10, 2013)

Just wanted to thank you for the very interesting and useful information...


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