Yukon Man Offers Reward In Finding Missing Pet Tortoise

Pets can become part of the family. For one Yukon man, that pet is an African Spur Thighed Tortoise, one he's desperate to find.

“She can't go far without being noticed,” said Randy Johnson of Yukon.

Which is why Johnson still can’t believe Rosie, his 18-year-old desert tortoise, hasn’t turned up yet.

“Not knowing is one of the hardest things,” he said.

Rosie has been a part of the family ever since she was just a hatchling, now the 85-pound tortoise has been missing about a week.

“She's been sleeping under this evergreen over here,” Johnson pointed out in his back yard.

Johnson says Rosie has free range of the property which is fenced in and he admits she can cover a lot of ground.

“She's all over the yard and we joke that she puts on more miles in the day than my Jack Russells do because she checks everything out,” Johnson said.

Now, he’s afraid her curiosity has gotten the best of her.

“It's horrible,” he said. “I mean I don't know if she's caught in something or hungry or fallen into bad hands. I don't even like to let my mind go there.”

Instead, he’s searching the areas behind his home several times a day while passing out fliers and turning to social media to get the word out.

“She is a beloved pet of the family,” he said. “It's very important that she's returned home.”

Johnson is offering a reward to anyone who finds Rosie and safely returns her home. If you see her, contact Randy Johnson on Facebook or by emailing him at rj4209@gmail.com.