Stolen Turtle Found Safe In Another State While The Kidnappers Are Still On The Loose

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Stolen Turtle Found Safe In Another State While The Kidnappers Are Still On The Loose

It had all the makings of a great detective story: a daring robbery, a kidnapping and a manhunt for a local celebrity - but the twist in this case is that the victim was a 100 pound reptile.

A picture of Millennium in happier times.Dennis Clark / NY Post

Millennium the tortoise is the main attraction at the Alley Pond Conservation Center in Queens, NY. Staff guess that more than 50,000 school children visit him each year, and locals even hire him out for their children's parties.

Millennium was missing for most of a day until anybody noticed.Dennis A. Clark / NY Post

So when he was stolen last week the community was shell-shocked. At least 2 thieves, working either at night or in broad daylight last Monday, cut a whole in the fence to Millennium's enclosure and carried the 17-year-old African spurred tortoise out.

Police search for clues in the turtle enclosure.Dennis A. Clark / NY Post

Police know it took a team of men to move the scaly celebrity, since he's 2 feet long and weighs as much as a mini-fridge. But after loading Millenium into a nearby truck the crooks disappeared without a trace, leaving Millennium's friend Mini Me behind in the enclosure.

Millennium (left) with Mini Me.Alley Pond Conservation Center

Police expected Millenium might be sold on the black market, and raced to find him before it was too late. But the criminals had something even stranger planned for Millenium.

Find out how police tracked down Millennium on the next page!

A rare turtle Millennium's size would be worth a small fortune as an exotic pet, or even more if he was chopped up and sold as ingredients for traditional medicine.

"To me, the turtle is priceless for a big animal like that, and so many kids love him," one of the center's staff told the NY Post. "He's priceless. The retail value out there, I don't know, from several hundred to several thousand. Who knows?"

Millennium is only 17, but early reports claimed he was over 100.Press Reader

But it seems like the turtle-nappers could either feel the heat on their trail or had no idea what Millenium was worth. The criminals tried to trade the tortoise for a much more common musk turtle and $300 at a Connecticut train station.

A shady spot for an illegal turtle deal.FoourSquare

The turtle-lover who made the trade quickly realized he had his hands on stolen goods, and made an anonymous call to the NYPD to reunite the turtle with his keepers.

The center's staff pose with Millennium after he was found.Alley Pond Conservation Center / Twitter

While the criminals are still on the loose, an educator at the center says they're "really excited" to have their star attraction home safe and sound. The center will add new fences and cameras to protect Millennium's enclosure in the future.

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[H/T: NY Post]

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