A cute eastern box turtle has been missing from the Inwood Hill Nature Center for several days now, and befuddled park rangers don't seem too worried about the little guy's fate. And unlike some other escaped animals who became instant Internet celebrities, the turtle has not exactly captured the public's attention.
The turtle, described by the Times as "the city's forgotten escape artist," went missing on Thursday in circumstances that are "unclear," according to Nature Center officials. "We're still searching when we have time, but we have other tasks throughout the day," said a ranger this morning, adding that a handful of people have come in to volunteer to help find the turtle. Like the sensational escaped Central Park Zoo peacock and Bronx Zoo cobra, the missing turtle has spawned a twitter account, but with only one follower... so far.
Eastern box turtles rarely grow larger than six inches, but are marked by a pair of bright red eyes. One woman told CBS radio she was amazed that such a “slow, large, weird-looking thing” could escape unnoticed. The ranger we spoke to this morning assured us that should the turtle not be found in the next few days, "it will find a place to hibernate for the winter—a mulch pile or a leaf pile, or dirt," he said. "They're pretty smart. It will survive."
