Stolen Rare Tortoise Reunited With Siblings At FL Zoo: St. Pete Police

ST. AUGUSTINE, FL — A rare Galapagos tortoise stolen from a Florida zoo has been reunited with his siblings, the St. Petersburg Police Department wrote in a Facebook post, the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park wrote in a Facebook post.

The tortoise, Salvo, was recovered in May from the yard of a St. Petersburg man who stole him from the St. Augustine zoo.

“After 90 days of quarantine, he has cleared his medical checklist and has been given the ‘Okay!’ to rejoin his other Galapagos tortoise siblings,” the zoo wrote.

• Also Read: Man Stole Rare Tortoises, Books, Comics: St. Pete Police

Joshua McCarty-Thomas faces charges for stealing rare tortoises, books and comic books, St. Petersburg police said.

Two endangered Galapagos tortoises were found at his home — Salvo, who was alive in the yard, the other’s carcass was in the freezer. They were stolen from the St. Augustine zoo on Nov. 30.

The juvenile tortoises are each worth approximately $10,000 each, police said. Once grown, these giant reptiles can reach 600 pounds and live 150 years.

McCarthy-Thomas also stole rare books worth thousands of dollars from Haslam's Book Store, 2025 Central Ave., on Dec. 16, 2022, and from Lighthouse Books, 1735 1st Ave. N., on Oct. 15, 2019, police said.