The large shell-less being here….
As the ratio of concrete to grasslands and forests continues to shift, more and more wild beings are getting displaced into urban areas.
This is exactly how Bruce and I met. He was wandering about, getting menaced by dogs and nearly run over by cars, when he was rescued to me….thank goodness!
Yet, one of the hardest parts of inviting Bruce to join our little flock has been placing him behind bars. It just feels so unfair!
In a wild setting, Bruce would be born in a certain area and stay in that area for his entire lifespan – some 50 to 100 years!
He would keep to a territory spanning about two miles, patrolling it continuously until he knew every blade of grass, every twig, every rock like the backs of his cute three-toed hind feet.
But in Bruce’s case, someone picked him up and removed him from his wild home and he lost his bearings early on in life. Chances are good his home turf is now covered up by construction anyway.
He can’t go home, but if left to it, he would spend the remainder of his life trying.
So instead we have made alternate arrangements. He has a secure yet roomy outdoor enclosure filled with natural plants, hay, hides, rocks, leaf litter, hollowed-out tree limbs and a spacious swimming hole. I have also created an additional secure enclosed play area nearby to let him stretch his legs daily.
And when he wants out, he has found a unique way of letting his large shell-less rescue mommy know.
