Escaped animal calls to the B.C. Conservation Officer Service typically involve livestock, and the occasional exotic pet.

One of the more unusual cases appeared last week, when a 20 kg tortoise was found wandering on its own along the north shore of Kootenay Lake. The non-native beachcomber was picked up between Nelson and Balfour and taken to a local resident who shelters orphan deer and other animals for the service.

So how does a lumbering land tortoise that size get away?

“I saw a video of this one, and it’s faster than you might think,” said Conservation Officer Nathan Smienk, who works out of the Nelson office.

The slow escape had a happy ending, as the owners came to reclaim the tortoise by mid-week.