Two tortoises, part of a massive rescue effort, are recovering at Oakland Zoo

Two tortoises, a yellow-footed and a leopard tortoise, made the long trip from a roadside zoo and deplorable conditions in Maryland to a new home at Oakland Zoo as part of a five-day wildlife rescue.

The rescue, orchestrated by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, involved 30 different species including box turtles, tortoises, a Madagascar spiny-tailed iguana, pythons, bears, exotic birds, coatimundis and a squirrel monkey.

The animals were taken as part of a legal settlement between PETA and the Tri-State Zoological Park in Cumberland, Maryland, formerly owned by Robert Candy. In all, 65 animals were taken from the now-shuttered, non-accredited zoo in action that ended years of litigation. Earlier, three large cats and three other animals were rescued.

Oakland Zoo, which joined 14 other zoos and wildlife organizations, helped with the rescue, treatment and transportation of the animals. The Tri-State Zoological Park had a long history of animal abuse allegations starting in 2006, three years after the park opened, when a fire killed most of the animals housed there.

In more recent years, PETA brought suit against the park alleging abuse that included several exotic, endangered animals. In late 2019, a federal judge ruled that the park had violated the Endangered Species Act after the death of two tigers and ordered it to relinquish two lions and a tiger. Conditions at the park were described by the judge as “fetid and dystopic” where “filth and feces dominate.”

The park appealed the decision but lost.

Oakland Zoo brought the two tortoises on the cross-country journey to the Bay Area. The tortoises, which were severely dehydrated and had suffered years of neglect, are now in quarantine, receiving treatment at the Oakland Zoo Veterinary Hospital.

There was no medical documentation for any of the rescued animals and because of the conditions they were kept in at the park, Oakland Zoo officials say it is likely they carry illnesses that will need to be immediately treated.

“Animal welfare is one of our top priorities at the zoo, both locally and globally,” said Darren Minier, the zoo’s director of animal welfare and research. “Participation in these rescues, our involvement in creating and advocating for legislation is vital to combat the illegal wildlife pet trade, which allows owners to exploit these animals.”

The vast majority of Oakland Zoo’s animal residents are rescues, from private ownership as well as the illegal wildlife trade. Animals confiscated by officials at San Francisco International Airport and the Port of Oakland have been brought to Oakland Zoo for treatment, care, and permanent sanctuary over the years. The zoo has also worked with PETA for many years on rescue operations and investigations.

“We are incredibly grateful to our zoo and sanctuary partners for helping us,” said Brittany Peet, PETA Foundation’s general counsel for captive animal law enforcement, in a statement. “If we didn’t have reputable zoos, such as Oakland Zoo, these animals would have to stay with neglectful owners, like Bob Candy, where they would be mistreated for years.”

The other animals, including a spider monkey derisively named Spazz because of his frantic, stress-induced behavior, likely caused by the 20 years he spent in solitary confinement surrounded by natural predators in a reptile house, are being cared for by other zoos. PETA has rechristened the monkey Stardust, and he’ll eventually be introduced to another spider monkey, Ziggy.