Help Find the Person Who Painted Endangered Tortoise Bright Red!

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is seeking help to identify

the person who had covered an endangered gopher tortoise with spray paint. The tortoise, now known as Raphael, was found completely coated with a dry layer of red paint that had been applied all over the animal’s body, and the tortoise also had concrete on his limbs.

The gopher tortoise was discovered in the middle of County Road 455, south of Montverde, by two kind people who then immediately took the animal to a wildlife rehabber.

Removing the paint and concrete from the tortoise is a challenging process which, unfortunately, causes the animal stress – but it has to be undertaken quickly, so as not to give the chemicals the chance to sink in further.

Gopher tortoises are state-listed as Threatened and they are a protected species. Raphael is now under the care of The Central Florida Wildlife Center and Swamp Girls.

According to the latest update by the Swamp Girls, thanks to a lot of careful scrubbing, Raphael is now starting to look more and more like his proper self!

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/news/help-find-person-painted-endangered-tortoise-bright-red/