It takes a village – or a Phoenix suburb – to wrangle a wayward tortoise
A giant sulcata tortoise named Rex was found wandering a suburban Phoenix street, prompting a community effort to locate his owner. The incident highlights the challenges of owning such a large tortoise, which can grow to 200 pounds and live for up to 150 years. Many people are unaware of the care requirements for sulcata tortoises, leading to a significant number being abandoned or surrendered to rescues.
- ▪Rex, the tortoise, was discovered by neighbors in Scottsdale, Arizona, sparking a search for his owner.
- ▪Sulcata tortoises can weigh up to 200 pounds and require large outdoor enclosures and proper care.
- ▪Many sulcata tortoises are abandoned due to owners being unprepared for their size and care needs.
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| Original publisher | NPR — News |
| Canonical URL | https://www.npr.org/2026/05/18/nx-s1-5808341/sulcata-tortoise-pet-phoenix |
| Publication time | Mon, 18 May 2026 05:00:00 -0400 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-18T09:09:56.112Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-18T09:09:56.112Z |
| Headline source | Publisher (no WeSearch rewrite) |
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| Summary source text | contentText |
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| Retrieval / RAG | May the content be exposed for third-party retrieval-augmented generation? | Not asserted |
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| Commercial reuse | May the content be reused commercially? | Not permitted |
Basis: Derived from the published RSS/Atom feed. Contact: [email protected]. Reviewed: 2026-07-24.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Animals It takes a village – or a Phoenix suburb – to wrangle a wayward tortoise May 18, 20265:00 AM ET Alina Hartounian Rex, the tortoise, at Brian and Sara Westfall's home, who fostered him while they searched for his owner, in Scottsdale, Arizona. Adriana Zehbrauskas for NPR/57999420m hide caption toggle caption Adriana Zehbrauskas for NPR/57999420m His name was Rex because he looked like a dinosaur. The giant sulcata tortoise came lumbering down a suburban Phoenix street one recent spring evening. A gaggle of dumbfounded neighbors milled about him. I was among them. Questions swirled. Where did he come from? How far had he come? Was he hungry? Thirsty? Tired? Rex walks as a group of neighbors watches.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at NPR — News.
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