Wildlife officials warn against disturbing wild desert tortoises

PHOENIX — With monsoon rains bringing out desert wildlife in Arizona, wild desert tortoises may wander as a necessity to search for mates, moisture and escape flooding.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) urges the public to follow these measures if an encounter with a wild desert tortoise occurs:

• Keep wild desert tortoises wild
• Don’t release a captive desert tortoise into the wild
• Keep dogs away from desert tortoises
• Call AZGFD if encounter occurs

Taking a wild desert tortoise home is illegal in Arizona. Nonetheless, releasing a captive desert tortoise into the wild is also illegal.

“We cannot stress enough how detrimental it is to let a captive tortoise go free in the wild,” Chad Rubke, AZGFD’s turtles project coordinator, said. “Captive desert tortoises cannot be released into the wild, as they can pass diseases to wild populations and displace wild tortoises.”

However, it is possible to adopt a desert tortoise.

If a desert tortoise is seen crossing a busy road or simply out in the open, report it to AZGFD’s Tortoise Adoption Program hotline at 1-844-896-5730.

“A tortoise in the road is simply trying to get to the other side, and the best thing anyone can do is to leave it in the wild,” Rubke said.

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