The 10-inch African Leopard Tortoise escaped its owner's Bay Ridge backyard on April 21 and hasn't been seen since.
Has anyone seen Doris?
Doris is an African Leopard Tortoise who apparently escaped her owner’s backyard after the gate was accidentally left open at their Brooklyn home. It’s been more than a week since her April 21 disappearance and the family is worried sick.
Doris crawls slowly and has a 10-inch shell that is tall and brown. "Please look in all outdoor areas," the missing poster reads.
Laura Torres, Doris’ owner and her family plan to offer a reward for her safe return. Torres told ABC News that Doris has been part of her family for the last 22 years.
”We got Doris even before my husband and I got married. We have two children, they've always lived with Doris, it's been part of the family," Torres said.
As chaotic as it has been, she also took a moment to share how grateful she is for all the outpouring of support from people in the neighborhood putting up flyers and combing the area with their children, and their pets looking for Doris.
Torres said she’s even gotten help from New York City Councilman Justin Brannan, who posted a message on his Facebook page. “Help us find Doris the tortoise!” Brannan wrote. “As you walk around the neighborhood, keep an eye out near bushes, sunny grass patches, cozy hidden corners, and you may be surprised to find a tortoise!"
Torres told Bklyner that she suspects that Doris may have been taken in by someone. If that is the case, she said that she’s happy to pay a reward, “no question asked,” she said, “we would love to have her back.”
The leopard tortoise is native to South Africa, Ethiopia, and Somalia, and is one of the largest tortoises. These reptiles are slow, quiet, and not aggressive. If they feel threatened though, they will likely retreat into their shells in their defense. Most are between 10 and 18 inches long, weighing 40 to 50 pounds and have a life expectancy between 50 to 100 years. They thrive in sunlight but don’t like the cold and some are prone to respiratory issues. They are also herbivorous grazers; they feed throughout the day. About 50 to 80 percent of their diet is comprised of high-fiber grasses and greens, according to the website Spruce Pets.
Doris is not the only pet turtle to have gotten lost on the streets of Brooklyn, Willie, a 70-year-old box turtle escaped his home in 2013, the Bklyner reported.
Anyone with information can email ltorres234@gmail.com.
