The length of time it takes for a big desert tortoise to cross a southern Arizona roadway is yet unclear in a confusing event on the road. Not too long ago, a state Department of Public Safety policeman arrived to help a runaway sulcata tortoise crossing Interstate 10 close to Picacho. A worried motorist reported the tortoise’s dangerous attempt to cross the busy highway between Casa Grande and Tucson in Pinal County to the police on July 30.
Reacting quickly to the cry for assistance, the driver and DPS Sgt. Steven Sekrecki safely pulled the tortoise off the road. Under closer inspection, troopers found the turtle etched with the word “Stitch” on its shell. Following this insightful hint, they chose to get in touch with a local ostrich ranch, barely three miles away.
The ranch owner, Craig Boggs, might offer some analysis of the matter. As it happened, Stitch the tortoise had left his land. Boggs thanked Sgt. Sekrecki for his quick involvement, which prevented any injury to the tortoise.
When asked about it, Sgt. Sekrecki expressed his relief in having the tortoise safely rescued. He praised the motorist for quickly reporting the issue, emphasizing the importance of public participation in such situations. “We would much prefer to come out and be able to rescue an animal like this instead of having it end up getting killed or causing a car crash or something like that,” Sgt. Sekrecki said.
Protected under both federal and state legislation, desert tortoises such as Stitch are a species of high importance. For these creatures, negotiating a busy roadway can prove to be a great difficulty given their sluggish speed and restricted mobility. Their presence on the road poses a danger to both the drivers and themselves.
This interaction clarifies a more general problem of human-animal relationships, especially in places where wildlife regularly coexists alongside roads and pipelines. According to Eric Proctor of the Arizona Game and Fish Department, drivers may be quite helpful to law enforcement in these kinds of situations. “Drivers can definitely make a difference if they come across a wildlife hazard,” Proctor said, stressing the need for documenting observations of animals trying to cross roads.
