A tortoise named Clark that was found roaming, albeit very slowly, in California over the weekend was safely reunited with its family.
However, before being returned, Clark got its share of 15 minutes of fame after a post by the police department that retrieved the animal.
The tortoise, which weighed 150 pounds, was found wandering around in the city of Alhambra before the police captured it in the intersection of Sixth Street and Norwood Place at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Sgt. Esther Rodriguez from the Alhambra Police Department said that it took two police officers to pick up the animal to be placed inside the patrol car's trunk, due to the tortoise's weight.
The tortoise was then confined in a kennel while waiting for the Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control unit to arrive to check and pick up the animal.
News about Clark spread around in social media after the Alhambra Police Department posted about the situation on their official Facebook page, along with pictures of Clark beside a patrol car of the department.
"Which is faster? The tortoise did try to make a run for it; but, our officers are pretty fast. Almost had a pursuit!" playfully said the post about Clark on the police department's Facebook page.
The post also said that the handcuffs of the police officers were not practical for the situation, and added that the turtle has distinct markings that might make it easier for the tortoise to be reunited with its owners.
"I saw about (four) people around him who didn't know what to do and so I pulled over. He was friendly though and was eating grass and leaves and moving at a fast clip. the dude can move!" said a Facebook user in a reply to the post about Clark. The post is just one of the many light-hearted comments that the post received, with several people expressing their interest in taking in the tortoise if the owners do not step forward to claim Clark.
Clark's family, however, went to the police station to take the tortoise home the following day.
"According to 21310 of the Penal Code, it is illegal to possess a [tortoise]. We enjoy keeping families together, so an exception was made in this case," said the police department in a separate post on Facebook.
The police department also earlier reported that the tortoise's name was Dirk, but later corrected themselves with the true name of the animal.
