Tortoise covered with paint, concrete still recovering

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — A gopher tortoise found covered with red spray paint and concrete has about two weeks left to recover, Florida Fish and Wildlife officials said.

The tortoise was discovered near Montverde last week, the FWC said in a Facebook post.

A pair of good Samaritans spotted the tortoise, which had concrete on its shell and limbs, in the middle of County Road 455 and took it to a wildlife rehabilitation center, officials said.

"It is both illegal and very harmful to the health of a gopher tortoise to apply man-made substances, such as paint or concrete, to any part of their body or shell," the post said.

"Removing paint and concrete from gopher tortoises without harming it is a challenging process that causes the animal stress," the post said. "Applying substances like paint on tortoises can inhibit their ability to absorb vitamins from the sun’s UV rays through their shells, has the potential to cause respiratory problems and can lead to harmful chemicals being absorbed into their bloodstream."

The tortoise, named Raphael, was taken to Swamp Girl Adventures, a wildlife conservation group, to recover.

They said Thursday that there is still paint on the animal’s head and limbs, but that 80 percent of the paint is removed. Workers there plan to release Raphael in about two weeks.

In 2015, two tortoises were discovered with painted shells in Orange County. In 2016, FWC officials in 2016 discovered a gopher tortoise that was painted blue in Martin County.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call FWC at 888-404-3922 or email the agency at tip@myfwc.com.

Tipsters may remain anonymous and could be eligible for a reward.

Cox Media Group