California tortoise with cracked shell gets $4,000 repair

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A wayward tortoise that cracked its shell after falling off a 10-foot wall in California is recovering after vets used screws, zip ties and denture material to repair it.

San Diego County Animal Services Director Dan DeSousa says the male 90-pound African spurred tortoise probably was a pet that got loose from a yard.

He says it was found on Sunday after falling over the wall while escaping a dog.

DeSousa says the animal’s shell cracked into three pieces. Veterinarians repaired it Tuesday in a three-hour operation.

The $4,000 cost is covered by the county’s Spirit Fund. The tortoise will live with a rescue group.

DeSousa says it will take a year to heal but the 35- to 40-year-old tortoise could have many more decades of life.