A large African spurred tortoise named Molly was discovered meandering slowly along the periphery of a vast wetland in the Canadian prairies, far from her natural habitat in the Sahara desert. Staff at Oak Hammock Marsh in Manitoba’s Interlake were surprised to find Molly, who weighed 36 kilograms, as she was not a native species to the area.
Gillian Malchuk, a nature interpreter at Oak Hammock, along with her colleagues, rescued Molly after receiving reports of a tortoise sighting. Initially, they thought it might be a snapping turtle, common in Manitoba. However, a sighting on the iNaturalist app confirmed that it was indeed an African spurred tortoise.
Upon receiving a visitor’s report of a tortoise in the parking lot, Malchuk and her team quickly located Molly. The staff provided her with cucumbers and flower petals, gave her tours of the marsh interpretive center, and cared for her until her owners were found.
Molly’s family, who had raised her for 15 years since she was a baby, reclaimed her on July 22. Malchuk mentioned that tortoises are adept at escaping, and Molly had likely snuck out through a gap in the family’s yard during renovations.
The mystery remains as to how Molly traveled 20 kilometers to the marsh. One theory is that a well-intentioned person relocated her to what they thought was a suitable habitat, unaware of the potential danger to a tortoise in a wetland environment.
Despite the journey and unusual circumstances, Molly was safely returned to her family, leaving Oak Hammock Marsh staff puzzled by her unexpected appearance in their care.