Since it's gotten warm out and the tortoises have been getting antsy, I have been letting the russian group out into their outdoor enclosure for hours at a time, and letting my big male red-foot out to wander the yard (under close supervision... he will be getting a secure outdoor enclosure soon though). I had been getting more brave with the tortoises outdoors and even starting to leave the russians out with no supervision (their enclosure is secure with a locking cover, and chicken wire embedded in the ground beneath it), but now the neighborhood kids are making me rethink leaving them out when we aren't keeping an eye on them.
Over the weekend, large groups of kids have gathered along the creek in my backyard, and so far they have killed a large water snake (that was probably older than the kids were), wounded another (he may be dead now), killed a snapping turtle, injured a duck, and taken home several snakes and newts, all from my backyard and the surrounding backyards that the creek also flows through.
I'm not quite sure what to do about it other than put up a fence, but I know that I am not going to be leaving my tortoises out in their pen. I have yelled at the kids, and tried reasoning with them. Once I discovered they were harming the animals in the creek I went and had a word with one of their mothers, but I am not sure what my next step should be.
