Help ! (My Russian has escaped)

[Nikki]

Hello I am new to this site but I need some help. I have a Russian Tortoise, his name is Jerry, he escaped his outside enclosure yesterday. I am beside myself, I am on the East Coast, its getting chilly at nights and I am worried that he won't survive. I have searched everywhere, we have 2 acres of land, its like looking for a needle in a haystack. I left food out today just incase. I have searched all through the woods at the side of my house. My son is so upset. I have told all the neighbors to look out for him, I have posted fliers up all over town, I contacted the local shelters and vets and the animal control officer. Is there anything else I can do. All our family members have been actively looking for him, we have spent every spare minute we have but to no avail. I laid awake all night worried about him. Please help any advice you can offer I would be grateful. We are all very sad right now

 

[Jacqui]

RE: Help !

Hi and welcome! If it helps to give you any peace of mind, more then likely your Russian will bury himself down at night to stay warm. He will eventually go down further and hibernate, if you don't find him before it gets to cold. He should be able to survive the winter.

Sounds like your doing some of the best things you can do to find your Russian. Be sure to check in the mornings, the places the sun is hitting. Look well under plants, grass clumps, and leaf piles. Look for freshly dug little spots, where he may have dug down.

Also are you sure he is missing or could he just be buried down within his outside enclosure?

 

[DesertGrandma]

RE: Help !

Sure hope you find your little tort. Best of luck to you.

 

[AnthonyC]

RE: Help !

Good luck finding your tortoise! Keep the faith!!

 

[Claireabbo]

RE: Help !

he should hibernate like jacqui said. he will survive the winter. and hopefully he will come back to his loving home like a dog (or you find him of course) just trying to brighten spirits hope all happens well.

 

[Yvonne G]

RE: Help !

Hi Nikki:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

Look all along the west side of your property up against the fence first thing in the morning as the sun hits that side. All mine come out in the a.m. and line up along the fence to catch the first rays of sunshine. Also, they go into hibernation earlier than other hibernating tortoises, so he might have dug down in his pen already. The only way to find where he has dug down (if this is the case) is to get down on your hands and knees and give a close inspection to every inch of the dirt in the pen. They push the dirt behind them and it makes it very hard to see where they are. But you can feel how soft it is compared to the ground around the spot.

 

[babylove6635]

RE: Help !

i had two escape earlyer this summer and like you i serched every day had blisters on both hands from raking tall grass to see if they were under so i know your worries i did get one back one week latter from my neibors pond. they were russians and he was in bad shape. so keep the faith i still am for the othere one. best of luck

 

[dmarcus]

RE: Help !

Hello and welcome to the forum... Hope you find your tortoise...

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

RE: Help !

Welcome.

 

[Nikki]

RE: Help !

Thank you so much for all your support and suggestions, he is still missing : ( Day 3 and still no sight of him. Its raining right now and I read that sometimes they come out in the rain, so I am going to go out and look for him. Its nice to know that I am not on my own and I have read quite a few success stories on here! I am hoping and praying that mine is too. I will keep you posted. My son said to me last night "why did he run away, didn't he like it here?" broke my heart Thank you everyone!

 

[Laura]

RE: Help !

are you sure he escaped? If its getting colder he could have dug down already.. or do you ahve critters that visit at night? raccoons? ;-/

 

[Tom]

RE: Help !

Keep looking. He is SOMEWHERE. You just have to find him. I have "lost" some of my torts actually in their enclosures too. Yvonne's "hands and knees" advice has saved more than one well hidden tortie from spending a night outside.

 

[Utah Lynn]

RE: Help !

They are very, very good at "hiding in plain sight". Keep looking. Good Luck.

 

[Nikki]

RE: Help !

Thank you everyone, still searching, we have a lot of land, its very difficult there are just so many places he could be, I am beside myself, I will keep searching, I was out on my hand and knees, that definitely helps I must admit, you get a better view of everything. Just want him home now !

 

[chase thorn]

RE: Help !

welcome!

 

[dmmj]

RE: Help !

Are you expecting rain? rain will often bring a russian out.

 

[Nikki]

RE: Help !

I still haven't found him but its raining today, in fact there is local flooding too, I am worried he might drown? I keep going out to see if he has come up, nothing yet, but I will keep looking, thanks for this advice !

 

[Camelot]

Dear Nikki,

I am new here and feel your pain.

In April I purchased a Sulcata Hatchling (more about where NOT to buy from later!)

I named this little baby "Camelot" because he reminded me of what a pure and precious earth his family once lived in.

I have rescued and rehabilitated "death row" Dachshunds for over two decades.

I understand the concerns of dogs and baby tortoises but having had litters of puppies before they were thrown out, mine already have a maternal instinct.

Because they have a great sense of smell ( they can detect cancer cells in a human long before any show up in routine medical tests!) I immediately taught them to "find" baby Camelot since he can move FAST if I turn my back. I believe strongly that he should have at least 15 minutes of natural sunlight and free exercise in my gated back yard.

It took about 3 intense days of training for them to master this. They will sniff the yard and stand over his little trotting body, wagging their tails for their treat.

I learned quickly to place those little stationary-store adhesive, bright, neon stickers on both his back and tummy should he flip over while he's exercising. I peel them off before I give him his nightly bath and brush his green beak!

Last month I lost him for 3 days. It was just awful so I know what emotions one goes through. The main thing I was worried about in my area were all the cats roaming around.

I spent HOURS searching, spent the first night outside calling his name, getting up at the crack of dawn, etc.

My Doxie Mia Sophia nearly broke her neck getting caught between the ground and the back fence and was so agitated that I just KNEW he was back there outside of the gate.

On day three I started cutting back lots of foliage, shaking tree limbs, calling his name, placing romaine lettuce all along the fence line- still nothing.

After three full days and nights of prayer, I was about to leave the house. It was almost sunset and I thought I'd try one final time.

I scouted the regular route (in tears again), and lo and behold as I turned towards the house there he was- against the corner of an indoor fence and garage siding.

I know he wasn't out there the night before because I keep a floodlight there. There is a bullfrog that hangs out there and it freaks me out and the frog was there ALL night just staring at me.

It was gone in the morning and Camelot was there instead.

He was SO muddy that I'm sure he dug down into the dirt those three days due to prey, etc.

I immediately bathed him, indulged him with all kinds of food, etc.

Did I mention he sleeps nightly under the down comforter with myself and the other three Doxies?

I'm telling you, Camelot wants for NOTHING!

I hope you will post and let me know that you have found him.

There is one final thing I'd like to say. Sometimes we get so attached to our animals that we don't realize they have survived things most of us could not- especially tortoises and turtles.

I have watched in fascination at the intelligence shown by my 6 month "baby". Yours is equally as bright.

God designed each animal perfectly for it's survival. And if you'd ask a group of kids I'm sure they'd answer "TURTLE!" as one of the most perfect animals equipped to survive situations.

I've also noticed they have a GREAT sense of direction- kind of like dogs.

When he wants to come home, he'll come home- he is NOT lost and he knows how to protect himself- most likely in shrubbery.

In the mean time, I hope others will consider buying those cheap baby sticker dots to place on them before brief outings.

They have saved me a couple of times when one has come off and landed on a blade of grass. I can look at the direction it is stuck to the grass and see which direction he has headed and sure enough, I catch up with his tiny little feet.

Without sounding too religious, I believe that God's heart breaks a little when a person He loves grieves over a blessed animal He has entrusted them to care for.

Have faith and don't give up hope.

Love, Lynne.