African turtle found trying to cross busy intersection finds a new home at museum

As Ranger First Class David Fisher was patrolling Bibb County, he noticed something unusual at a busy intersection.

Fisher spotted a large tortoise trying to cross the road.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources game warden got out of his pickup and noticed that the animal didn’t look like it was from around here.

Fisher loaded it into his vehicle and later discovered it was an African Sulcata tortoise.

The species is native to the southern edge of the Sahara in north central Africa, but the tortoises are bred on a large scale in the United States, according to Reptiles Magazine.

Just a few decades ago, the tortoises were rare in the U.S. but they have “an amazing ability to adapt to various climates and habitats in captivity,” the magazine reported.

They have a curious personality and are popular with first-time tortoise owners, according to the article.

Fisher took the tortoise to the Macon Museum of Arts & Sciences where it will be on display, according to a DNR Facebook page.

This story was originally published August 3, 2017 at 7:12 AM with the headline "African turtle found trying to cross busy intersection finds a new home at museum."