LEE COUNTY, Fla. — A Lee County resident faces four criminal charges after gopher tortoises were found in a home with no access to water in around 100 degree heat.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was called to the scene after a report of animal cruelty.
The homeowner admitted to collecting and keeping the animals, which are a state-listed threatened species.
The tortoises were transported to an animal hospital in Fort Myers. They will be rehabilitated with the goal of releasing them back to the wild.
