Special Reports
Reward offered in Ocala, Fla. gopher tortoise case
By Belinda Mager
The Humane Society of the United States


Dec 15, 2006, 01:18

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The Humane Society of the United States is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for killing 20 gopher tortoises in Ocala, Florida last month.

The case

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) law enforcement investigators received information recently of two trash bags filled with 20 gopher tortoise shells near a wooded area in the 700 block of Northwest 14th Street on November 28.  FWC investigators suspect the tortoises were killed for their meat. Anyone with any information that may help solve this case should call the Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922. Information such as someone seen dumping the shells, or buying or selling gopher tortoises or their meat, would be extremely helpful. The call is toll-free, callers may remain completely anonymous and could be eligible for an FWC reward of up to $1,000 from Wildlife Alert if their information leads to an arrest.

Gopher Tortoises are protected as a species of special concern in Florida; it is a second-degree misdemeanor to kill these animals without a FWC permit. FWC recently voted to change the species’ status to threatened, which will afford the animals greater protection when the change becomes official with the approval of a new management plan, expected in June 2007.

Recently, The HSUS and other local animal welfare groups have worked with the FWC and local construction companies to relocate gopher tortoises that were making their homes on land scheduled for development.

The investigators

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating the case. If you have any information, contact FWC’s 24-hour Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922.

The HSUS

For more information, contact Jen Hobgood, Ph.D., program coordinator for The HSUS’ Southeast Regional Office at 850-386-3435, jhobgood@hsus.org, or Belinda Mager at 646-469-4987, bmager@hsus.org .