Pet tortoise that went missing after Hurricane Michael found, reunited with loving family
Pet tortoise that went missing after Hurricane Michael found, reunited with loving family
Jeff Burlew, Tallahassee Democrat Published 3:33 p.m. ET April 6, 2019 | Updated 3:39 p.m. ET April 6, 2019
An African tortoise by the name of Brooks — a celebrity of sorts in rural Cottondale, Florida — caused plenty of heartache and worry when he wandered away from home in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael.
Before the storm made landfall Oct. 10, Brooks and his brother Zoe Zoe lived happily at Barfield’s Produce on Main Street, dining on salad twice a day and posing for pictures with customers and tourists alike. They got lots of love from the Barfield family, who own the produce business along with a country store.
The hurricane caused major damage to both businesses, half-demolishing the store in Cottondale. Clint Barfield, who got the tortoises five years ago, decided to move them to his 500-acre farm for safety and keep them in a makeshift pen.
A couple of weeks later, while Barfield and his wife Rhonda were out, Brooks managed to squeeze past a loose board in the pen and get away. After the Barfields discovered him missing, they launched a full-scale effort to find him, scouring their cotton fields on foot and by four-wheeler.
More:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/04/06/tortoise-lost-after-hurricane-michael-reunited-florida-family/3387404002/
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A tortoise tale
By DEBORAH BUCKHALTER, dbuckhalter@jcfloridan.com 11 hrs ago
When a friend tearfully informed Clint Barfield that she was moving out of the country and had to leave her pair of beloved African spurred tortoises behind in the U.S., she asked him if he’d adopt Brooks and his brother, Zoe- Zoe. Barfield agreed.
He got the proper license to keep them, and prepared them a home where he spent most of his time. That’s at his long-standing business in Cottondale, Barfield Produce. Their spacious holding area is regularly inspected, and Barfield pays an annual fee for the right to keep them.
When Barfield and his sweetheart Rhonda married, she adopted them, too. She fixes them brunch and dinner.
And they’ve thrived for the past five years under the couple’s care. Brooks, the smaller, and Zoe-Zoe weighed about 10-15 pounds each when they came to live at Barfield’s. Now Brooks weighs in at about 35 pounds, and Zoe-Zoe tips the scales at roughly 55 pounds.
The two get a big salad to share twice a day, and there’s a heat lamp in a corner for their comfort. They get a wash-down when needed. Barfield keeps a brush and water handy for that task.
More:
https://www.dothaneagle.com/jcfloridan/news/local/a-tortoise-tale/article_cc662406-57fb-11e9-bb85-33df8e268228.html
