Nearly 200 Turtles and Tortoises Rescued from an ‘Attempted Shipment’ Alerted at a Texas FedEx Office
The shelter took the animals into custody, cared for them and alerted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which opened an investigation
Credit: City of Denton Animal Shelter; City of Denton Animal Shelter
NEED TO KNOW
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A FedEx office in Texas discovered 191 turtles and tortoises in an attempted shipment and alerted authorities
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The animals were temporarily cared for by the Denton Animal Shelter before being relocated to the Dallas Zoo
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service opened an investigation into the shipment with help from local animal welfare groups
An assortment of nearly 200 turtles and tortoises is safe after an attempted shipment was intercepted in Texas.
The City of Denton Animal Shelter said a local FedEx office reached out after discovering the attempted shipment of 191 animals. Shelter staff responded right away and took the mix of turtles and tortoises into custody, according to a statement the shelter shared on Facebook.
"Business not as usual," the shelter wrote. Staff set the animals up in one of the shelter's offices and made sure they received proper care before contacting wildlife authorities.
The shelter notified its local U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service representatives, who opened an investigation into the shipment. The shelter thanked the agency for its "quick support and partnership" in handling the case.
The turtles and tortoises have since been relocated to the Dallas Zoo, where they are now safely housed, the shelter said.
For the Denton team, the case was an unusual one, but not entirely out of the ordinary for a shelter that fields all kinds of calls.
"This unusual rescue is just one example of how our animal services team supports the community," the shelter wrote, crediting the "strong partnerships" with fellow animal welfare groups that help coordinate responses in situations like this.
Read the original article on People
