What began as a dog walk on Washington's Vashon Island ended with a wildlife rescue after a couple noticed something unusual near the shore.
The people had spotted what appeared to be a "moving boulder," according to The Vashon Beachcomber. The shifting shape turned out to be Hercules, a missing 150-pound tortoise that had somehow made his way across much of the island after disappearing from home.
What happened?
The Beachcomber reported that on July 24, Dwight and Deb McCabe were walking their dogs on Kingsbury Beach when Deb noticed what turned out to be Hercules.
The 41-year-old sulcata tortoise had escaped from an enclosure near the south end of Vashon and had been missing for nearly six weeks. Over the 40 days he was gone, Hercules appeared to have covered roughly 10 miles, per the Beachcomber.
"It was just amazing," McCabe told the Beachcomber. "I've grown up on this island, and I've found a lot of strange things on Vashon beaches, but this takes the cake."
Residents eventually guided Hercules into a large garden cart and lifted him to safety.
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Why does it matter?
Before he was found, Hercules had apparently gone unnoticed across beaches, forest, roads and shifting tides.
And because Hercules is a land tortoise that cannot swim, his owner, Tony So, worried that if he stayed missing into colder weather, Vashon's dense roots might keep him from burrowing deeply enough to survive, per reporting from the Beachcomber.
So was relatively new to the area and had transported Hercules just two weeks before his escape. Thankfully, he is now back home in a remodeled enclosure with more space to roam and his regular meals of fruits and vegetables, the paper reported.
So said Hercules is more than a pet. "He's not a friend," So told the outlet, adding, "He's a family member."
This community effort led to their unlikely reunion.
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