Sulcatta on walk-a-bout in Colorado is returned home

Lucy, an African Spur Thigh Tortoise, or Sulcatta, decided a few weeks ago that she wasn't fond of the confines of her fenced in yard and proceeded on a walk-a-bout. For those not really familiar with these guys, there is a reason so many are named Tank. From The Denver Channel.com:

"She can cover some ground," he said. "She walks 2, 3 miles an hour. So, in a single day she can potentially walk 10 miles easily." Robin said this is typical of Sulcata tortoises, which are native to North African deserts. "She was seen by several people in Brighton. They put her in a field, believing she was wild," he added. Even more stunning, Lucy briefly found her way back home. "She followed her scent all the way from Brighton back to our house," Sheila Rockley said. Alas, the couple was out of town when Lucy crawled up. "There was no one there to let her in. So she walked over to the neighbor's house, where a new family was moving in," Sheila said. "A mover saw her, picked her up and took her to his house," she said. "The mover's wife said that she didn't want her. So he went and dropped Lucy off at a pond in Lafayette." But Lucy, not being a water-loving turtle, wasn't thrilled with pond life. She's likes people -- and food. "She walked over to the Lafayette feed store, because she's very, very smart. She's like, 'I'm not eating this outdoor crap,'" Sheila said.

Returned, slightly lighter but no worse for the wear, Lucy is back home in time for the cold snap. Of course Lucy's story is the biggest reason my rescue microchips Sulcattas. So they can hopefully find their way home.