Hinesville officers capture escaped tortoise, return it safely to enclosure

HINESVILLE, Ga. (WTOC) - A large tortoise that escaped its enclosure at Bradwell Institute was safely returned Friday, March 6, after officers and residents helped track it down, according to the Hinesville Police Department.

Earlier in the day, the school’s resident tortoise managed to get out of its enclosure and made it “a surprising distance” before nearby residents saw it and called 911, the department said in a Facebook post.

D-Watch officers responded and, with help and “a lot of muscle,” were able to load the “very large, very determined and ridiculously heavy” tortoise and return it safely to its enclosure, according to police.

Officers ensured the gate was secured so the tortoise would not escape again soon and joked that the incident provided an “unexpected workout,” the department said.