65-Pound Snapping Turtle Found Roaming Virginia Neighborhood
The turtle, which was named Lord Fairfax by its rescuers, is now living at the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk.
Meet Lord Fairfax, a 65-pound alligator snapping turtle who usually lives in rivers that flow into the Gulf of Mexico. Instead, this big guy was found roaming around the suburbs in Virginia. Fairfax County Animal Control officers responded to a call of an enormous snapping turtle in an Alexandria neighborhood.
Authorities said Lord Fairfax presented a "minimal" threat to humans, but "would have most likely experienced a slow death as a result of either freezing or starvation."
At 65 pounds, Lord Fairfax is probably a "youngster, as this species can reach weights exceeding 200 lbs," the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries wrote on Facebook. That's four times the size of the snapping turtles that are native to Virginia, which top out at 50 pounds.
As Lord Fairfax was likely bred in captivity, he could not be released back into the wild, officials said. Luckily for this turtle, the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk offered to make him part of a new exhibit, so Lord Fairfax will live out his life there.
Wildlife officials ask anyone considering a turtle as a pet to do their research, as many species of turtles have a life expectancy of 50 years and some can live to be 100. They also require special care.
RELATED STORIES
Trending on Inside Edition
Rapper DMX Dead at 50 One Week After Suffering 'Catastrophic' Heart Attack
NewsBrothers Left Suicide Note Calling 'Gun Control in the US' a 'Joke' Before Fatally Shooting Entire Family
CrimeDiscovery of Ancient Coins May Solve Mystery of Murderous 1600s Pirate
OffbeatKansas Man Visiting New York Says He Is 'Ready to Go Home' After Being Shot by Stray Bullet Near Times Square
Crime10-Year-Old Migrant Boy Found Crying Alone Near Border Asks Officer for Help
NewsBig Rig Blocks Fleeing Vehicle in Dramatic End to 2-Hour Police Chase in Southern California
News