BISMARK TRIBUNE (N Dakota) 04 July 08 'Smuggler' missing in action (Kay Kemmet)
If you see a bicycle helmet laying in your yard, take a closer look before you pick it up.
It might be Smuggler.
Smuggler, a nine-pound desert tortoise, went missing from his Bismarck home about a week ago and his owner, Jill Fischer, is worried about his whereabouts.
The tortoise measures about 12 inches by 6 inches:"If you took an adult bicycle helmet and put it in your yard, that would be the size that he would be," Fischer said.
Smuggler has been in Fischer's family for more than 30 years:"He's been around since Iwas born," Fischer said. "I grew up knowing him."
Smuggler is a rockclimbing desert tortoise and is not like the typical turtles seen in North Dakota, she says. He does not swim and actually is afraid of water. He does not even drink water, but rather he eats fruits and vegetables with high water contents.
He can move quite fast when he gets going, but only moves about in cooler conditions, she said. When it is hotter out, he usually finds shade under a tree or shrub.
He escaped from his home in northeast Bismarck on 35th Street between Rosser and Divide avenues on June 26. A reward is being offered; anyone with information on his whereabouts may call 400-2508.
'Smuggler' missing in action