Is it more likely that the Tortoise escaped/got eaten or got stolen?
Could a hawk snatch a Tortoise? I would think it would be too heavy. What about a lynx?
In short no to all your ideas. But to explain a bit cats like lynx typically eat at the site of the kill, and there are no hawks in Airdrie that could grapple with that tortoise.
My googling suggests that a male red foot tortoise weighs up to 20 lbs... I don't think there are any hawks anywhere that could carry that much.
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My googling suggests that a male red foot tortoise weighs up to 20 lbs... I don't think there are any hawks anywhere that could carry that much.
The Ferruginous Hawk is the biggest we have in Alberta and it would be a feat for it to do that, however the Golden eagle weighs 10 to12 pounds and can carry upto 40 pounds in flight. But not a single one is know to hunt tortoise and it is rather shocking for them to "branch out" the dinner menu like that. Also no such thing has ever happened at the Calgary Zoo with the free range Golden eagle that lives there and the out door tortoise they have.
Occams razor, theft is the simplest solution.
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In short no to all your ideas. But to explain a bit cats like lynx typically eat at the site of the kill, and there are no hawks in Airdrie that could grapple with that tortoise.
I’m not sure if that is correct about the lynx. There are plenty of videos showing them carrying house cats away to be eaten. So certainly they don’t eat where they kill in all instances.
The Tortoise are only 100-500 dollars per google and it seems resale would be tough so the reason for theft would need to be fun or keeping it. Otherwise stealing dogs from backyards would be much more profitable.
To me Escape seems the most likely.
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The Ferruginous Hawk is the biggest we have in Alberta and it would be a feat for it to do that, however the Golden eagle weighs 10 to 12 pounds and can carry up to 40 pounds in flight.
I'm pretty sure that's a myth. Some eagles have been known to glide down and, using the momentum from their flight, drag larger animals off of cliffs and the like in order to kill them, but actually taking off with prey or carrying them for any significant distance, it doesn't make any sense just in terms of the physics of the matter that they could pick up something heavier than themselves.
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A hawk can't lift much more than a couple of pounds, and I would think a Lynx would have trouble getting it over a fence given that their yard was presumably enclosed. There are certain dog breeds that could probably manage it.
How about two Hawks and a piece of string?
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"We often put George out in our yard to catch some UVs because he's a red-footed tortoise," Dykstra told CBC News.
"My husband put him out for the afternoon and went inside to check on my three-year-old son who was sleeping. Between 3:30 p.m and 4 p.m. he was removed from our yard. Our gates and fences are all tortoise-proofed and locked but somehow he was removed unfortunately."
"He's a tortoise and I am scared someone is going to think he is a turtle and can be released into the water and he will sink like a rock."
The executive director of the Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society says the incident is not unheard of.
"It does happen for sure where animals are stolen. Very rare, I would think, for a tortoise but I think tortoises are pretty rare to begin with. It is a unique animal. I really would hope that somebody wouldn't steal it but you never know," Deanna Thompson said.
I doubt there are any lynx around Airdrie. There would be bobcats and coyotes.
I doubt there are any lynx around Airdrie. There would be bobcats and coyotes.
I always thought a bobcat and lynx were the same species. Looks like the Red Lynx is what we call a bobcat and one of 4 species of Lynx. It is smaller than the Canadian Lynx.
The bobcats in our neighborhood have been sighted climbing fences looking for food/prey in people's yards. That said I'm not sure they would bother with a large tortoise.
I’m not sure if that is correct about the lynx. There are plenty of videos showing them carrying house cats away to be eaten. So certainly they don’t eat where they kill in all instances.
The Tortoise are only 100-500 dollars per google and it seems resale would be tough so the reason for theft would need to be fun or keeping it. Otherwise stealing dogs from backyards would be much more profitable.
To me Escape seems the most likely.
I think you're talking about the Bobcats in Calgary? But I may be mistaken.
As to Corsi, I said remain in flight, gliding counts and bird physics is weird. That eagle can generate 400psi of crushing force with its feet the talons of course concentrate that into a much greater puncture force.
The 40lbs comes from documented instances, the rumor is 80lbs but I find that dubious. The golden as you mentioned is the leading cause of Bighorn sheep lamp mortality, but they can drag full size 250lbs sheep off the mountain, but they don't glide with those of course.
All this said no cat or bird snatched that Tortoise.
I always thought a bobcat and lynx were the same species. Looks like the Red Lynx is what we call a bobcat and one of 4 species of Lynx. It is smaller than the Canadian Lynx.
Interesting other sources claim the Canadian lynx is the smallest, but they must not have been breaking that data down finely enough. However the tail spot is how to tell the lynx from the bobcat and that still holds true.
Also our native coyote, the plains coyote aka Canis Latrin Latrins, is more of a scavenger than others, they have the thickest teeth of any coyote species which reflects that nature, but not likely what happened to the tortoise.
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YES YES YES .... GEORGEY is HOME!!!!! As mysterious as he disappeared, he has reappeared! We are so HAPPY and cannot thank you ALL enough for all the posts, media and tv coverage, words of encouragement and believing in the dream he would come home.
I think it's pretty safe to assume this was the work of one of the many tortoise sex rings rampant through Canada. Most originating out of Vancouver.
I'm also going to assume his owner had a very particular set of skills, skills they have acquired over a very long career, skills that make them a nightmare for people who take tortoises?
Awesome news. It's good to know he's home safe.
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