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THE PROVINCE (Vancouver, British Columbia) 24 June 05 Reptile rustler tortoise-naps Herbie, zoo staff beg for return: Officials say he needs special care and attention to survive (John Colebourn)
Herbie the tortoise has fallen prey to a reptile rustler at the Greater Vancouver Zoo.
The staff at the Aldergrove zoo put out a public plea to get him back after discovering he was missing early yesterday.
"Herbie is a rare marginated tortoise and needs special care and attention to survive," said Jamie Dorgan, the zoo's animal-care manager.
"Somebody broke the chain and opened the sliding window and pulled him out."
Zoo staff believe Herbie went missing between 4:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Herbie weighs only 1.8 to 2.7 kilograms and is just 25 centimetres long. Dorgan said someone with a bag or coat could easily have concealed him from security.
He said it is rare to have an animal taken.
"We have security doing regular rounds," said Dorgan.
Herbie is a favourite among school kids who visit the zoo and has been there for almost seven years.
Marginated tortoises are named for the skirt-like appearance at the back of their shells. They live between 60 and 100 years and are an endangered species.
Dorgan said anyone who finds Herbie can drop him off at a veterinarian, the zoo or the RCMP with no questions asked.

VANCOUVER SUN (British Columbia) 24 June 05 Zoo tortoise believed stolen: Endangered species with special needs can survive up to week (Doris Sun)
Aldergrove: Officials at Greater Vancouver Zoo in Aldergrove are concerned about the safety of one of its endangered tortoises after discovering the tortoise was missing Thursday morning.
Zoo spokesman Malcolm Weatherston said in an interview Thursday that Herbie, a marginated tortoise, was likely stolen Wednesday evening while the zoo was still open.
He described the tortoise as being around 23-30 centimetres, and said its distinctive feature is a flared, skirt-like shell. Marginated tortoises are usually found in Greece and Italy, and need to live in warm temperatures.
Weatherston said Herbie's exhibit was found to be broken into at 8 a.m. Thursday morning when a zoo worker checked on the animals.
It is believed the chain leading to Herbie's tank was yanked, exposing him to the theft.
Weatherston believes a zoo patron stole the animal after deciding it would make a good pet.
"I think it was a visitor took a fancy to Herbie and said, 'Oh, I'd like to take him home.' "
Zoo officials ruled out the possibility Herbie was stolen from the zoo overnight, saying the locks leading to the reptile facility were not broken.
They believe zoo workers overlooked the fact Herbie was missing Wednesday evening when security officials closed up the zoo.
Jamie Dorgan, animal care specialist at the zoo, is particularly concerned because Herbie requires special care and attention.
"He has special lighting requirements, eating requirements, he needs the right substrate [the rocks or gravel lining an aquarium] and water set-up, he needs a very specialized diet to make sure he gets everything he needs."
Dorgan said that depending on the type of environment Herbie is in, he can survive for anywhere from one day to one week before being at risk of dying.
"Just taking him and turning him loose in your backyard, or having him running around your bedroom is not a good idea ... eventually he's going to run into nutritional deficiencies and have all sorts of problems associated with that, and at some point, he's not going to make it."
Dorgan said that because the zoo is quite open and designed to maximize patrons' viewing experiences, there were many opportunities to steal Herbie.
"I'm sure it wasn't all that difficult.
"We have a lot of spots ... all around the zoo that are somewhat accessible for people. If [people] want to do something stupid, there are plenty of opportunities to do it."
Weatherston said it has been at least five years since an animal was last stolen from the zoo.
Herbie is the only marginated tortoise the zoo owns

GLOBE AND MAIL (Toronto, Ontario) 25 June 05 Where Be Herbie? Purported sightings of the tortoise missing from Vancouver Zoo have been reported all across B.C. But he's still missing . . . (William Mbaho)
Vancouver: People are seeing turtles everywhere, but none of them are Herbie.
Two days after the endangered marginated tortoise was reported stolen from its enclosure at the Greater Vancouver Zoo in Aldergrove, British Columbians from across the province have called the zoo with possible Herbie sightings.
"We are getting a lot of sightings in ponds and parks on Vancouver Island, and we are also receiving calls from Mission, Langley and Vancouver," vivarium keeper Menita Prasad said.
She said the zoo received more than 15 calls yesterday about possible Herbie sightings, and had dozens of telephone messages.
"Unfortunately, none of them are leading us to Herbie," Ms. Prasad said. "People are mistaking Herbie for red-eared sliders."
The red-eared slider turtle is a common household pet in the Lower Mainland, and can also be found living in the wild along with lesser-known turtle species.
"Herbie is a tortoise, and there are no tortoises indigenous to British Columbia," animal care manager Jamie Dorgan said. "Herbie shouldn't be living in water, he's a land tortoise. Turtles here are water turtles."
Mr. Dorgan said 28-centimetre-long Herbie can be distinguished from turtles by its stumped feet and large shell.
"A turtle has flat or flipper-like feet for swimming, whereas Herbie has stump-like feet for walking," Mr. Dorgan said.
"His shell is arched and the scales on it are big segmented sections. He's also darker than most turtles around here."
Marginated tortoises can also be distinguished by the way their shells flare out at the bottom, Mr. Dorgan said.
He said Herbie, who is eight years old, is easily susceptible to health problems and could get sick if not kept in the right conditions.
Mr. Dorgan explained yesterday that he is considering launching a special page on the zoo's website to help notify the public of Herbie's description.
Ms. Prasad said zoo staff and daily visitors miss the tortoise, which was part of a morning tour known as Meet the Reptile.
She explained that Herbie, one of the most popular reptiles at the zoo, had taken part in fundraising events for the B.C. Children's Hospital.
"He doesn't hide away in his shell -- he's always out there in the open -- that's why kids liked to touch him and actually see his face," Ms. Prasad said.
"Herbie was also one our main guys for an event planned for Canada Day."
The tortoise will know if its care and attention are missing, the zoo's general manager, Malcolm Weatherston, said yesterday.
"These animals look attractive," Mr. Weatherston said. "But when you get into the practical care and attention of Herbie, it's a different issue from bringing a puppy or a kitten home."
He said many of the zoo's 800 animals were obtained through donations from around the world.
"Our zoo acts as a sanctuary," Mr. Weatherston said. "Canadian customs officials at the nearby border bring us the illegal pets or animals that people try and smuggle across."
Marginated tortoises (testudo marginata) are protected in Canada under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
The theft of Herbie from the zoo is not an isolated case in Canada, Major Wes von Papineäu, president of the Ottawa Amphibian and Reptile Association, said yesterday.
"As babies or hatchlings the marginated tortoise will go for $250 to $300 on the pet market in Canada," he said. "As breeding adults, their sale prices increase significantly.
"In Canada we don't keep as many tortoises in the open or in public venues as they do in the more moderate climate of the U.K., but pet theft is still a problem in Canada."
Last October, a 10-year-old Uruguayan red-footed tortoise named Emily was stolen during store hours from a pet shop in Etobicoke, Ont.
One month earlier, a pair of Hermans tortoises were stolen from a reptile show on the Stampede grounds in Calgary.
Where Be Herbie?