An unexpected discovery was made at Oak Hammock Marsh in Manitoba’s Interlake when Molly, an African spurred tortoise not native to the area, was found wandering slowly near the wetland. Gillian Malchuk, a nature interpreter at Oak Hammock, and her colleagues were surprised by Molly’s presence, considering her size and origin from the Sahara desert.
After receiving reports of tortoise sightings, Malchuk and her team rescued Molly, who weighed 36 kilograms, from the marsh. Initially assuming it was a local snapping turtle, they were taken aback when an observation on the iNaturalist app confirmed the tortoise’s unusual presence.
The staff at Oak Hammock searched for the tortoise and finally found Molly in the parking lot, much larger than expected. They cared for her, feeding her cucumbers and flower petals, until locating her owners through a social media post. Molly’s family was reunited with her, with Malchuk recalling the joyous reunion between Molly and her owner.
Despite the mystery of how Molly traveled 20 kilometers to the marsh, the Oak Hammock team speculates that perhaps a well-meaning individual relocated her, unaware of the unsuitability of the wetland for a tortoise. The possibility remains that Molly journeyed to the marsh on her own, leaving her exact adventures a mystery.