‘Giant snapping turtle’ prompts 911 calls in Pennsylvania. It’s not a native species

Panicked 911 callers in one Pennsylvania town reported seeing a huge snapping turtle “walking down the street in the middle of town,” and experts say their confusion was understandable.

It was definitely not a native species, according to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

The 911 calls came from Washington County, just southwest of Pittsburgh, state officials said in a news release.

“They stated that there was a 100LB turtle walking down the street in the middle of town,” Waterways Conservation Officer Jon Stark wrote.

“The original caller said it was a huge snapper ... I went over to see what kind of turtle it really was because, if it was as big as they said it was, that’s a giant snapping turtle,” he wrote. “Once there, I found the massive turtle that everyone feared and captured the beast!”

What he discovered was not a turtle, but an African Tortoise, which is not native to Pennsylvania or even North America. The species originates in savanna areas along the Sahara Desert in Northern Africa, experts say.

They can grow to 200 pounds and live as long as 150 years, according to the Oregon Zoo.

It had to be someone’s escaped pet, Stark deduced.

“This big old turtle just wanted to go for a walk and be free. Still not sure where he got loose from, but now he has a new home and a large area to roam,” he wrote.

The location of its new home was not divulged.

African tortoises are known to be popular pets, due to their adaptability, according to The Spruce Pets. “However, they don’t make ideal pets for everyone due to their long lifespans and specific care requirements,” the site reports.

Those requirements include “a spacious outdoor enclosure” with heat and high humidity, the site says.