Staff at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park in Florida are asking for help after two Galápagos tortoises were stolen from the zoo.
The two giant tortoises were taken on Nov. 30, according to a Facebook post shared on the zoo’s page.
“GRAND THEFT TORTOISE,” the post began before explaining that the two tortoises are members of an endangered species. The reptiles were born at St. Augustine Alligator Farm in 2017.
“If someone you know came home with a large black tortoise this week, it was not purchased legally,” the post said. “This species is NOT available in the pet trade and they will get to be 600lbs! They cannot be outside on these cooler nights, even in Florida.”
The park shared that the tortoises need to follow a special diet and eat particular supplements to survive.
While the staff looks through “hours of video surveillance” for footage of the theft, the zoo is asking the public to help bring the tortoises home. The post also notes that the Galápagos tortoises have microchips in them, so a veterinarian will be able to identify them if someone brings in the animals.
“Our hope is that they will be returned to us unharmed,” the post said. “Our efforts to support the conservation of this species has been decades in the making. Our animal team is heartbroken over this.”
The park said it has been working for years to include the Galápagos tortoises in its “Special Survival Plan” so that the endangered reptiles can exist in future generations.
NBC News affiliate First Coast News spoke to John Brueggen, the park's director, who described the two giant tortoises as “really rare and valuable.”
First Coast News reported that four tortoises were kept in the same exhibit and that only two were remaining at around 4 p.m on Nov. 30.
“I don’t think it’s a prank,” Brueggen told First Coast News. He also shared that the stolen tortoises are only five years old and weigh about 20 pounds each.
He added, “Because they’re rare, this is almost like grand theft auto except it’s grand theft tortoise now. Because this is an animal that on an open market would sell for $10,000.”
Brueggen suggested that a robber or “some teenager” looking for a pet could have hopped the fence, entered the exhibit and taken the tortoises.
His staff are concerned about the animals’ well-being and the possibility of losing reptiles that they tried to hatch for years.
“This is a living creature, and they’re worried about its health,” he said.
The zoo is asking anyone with information to contact Florida Fish and Wildlife or the St. Augustine Police.