A 77-pound tortoise found on the side of a road appears to have escaped its owner, police say.
Newsday reports police in Nassau County found the large African spurred tortoise in the Massapequa area.
The animal was brought to Dr. Ned Horowitz and his staff at the Massapequa Pet Vet on Wednesday. Horowitz said they were relieved to receive the "pleasant" and "domesticated" spurred tortoise instead of an alligator snapping turtle, which are frequently found in the area.
The tortoise appeared to be well cared for, and he said the tortoise probably escaped from its owner's home.
When the animal center posted photos of the tortoise to its Facebook page, the owner saw it and contacted the center.
The owner claimed the tortoise Thursday morning.
Nassau County police's peculiar roadside discovery comes days after New York City police recovered another African spurred tortoise that was stolen from a Queens environmental center.
