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MONTVERDE, Fla. (AP) — Authorities in Florida are trying to determine who is responsible for spray-painting a tortoise and putting concrete on its legs.
The Orlando Sentinel reported Thursday that two people spotted the gopher tortoise in the middle of a road south of Montverde.
Along with being completely covered in red spray paint, the animal's limbs were covered in concrete. The people who found the tortoise took it to an animal rehabilitation facility.
A commission Facebook post says it's illegal and harmful to the health of a gopher tortoise to apply man-made substances to any part of its body or shell.
The gopher tortoise is listed as threatened in Florida. The tortoise and its burrow are protected under state law.
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Information from: Orlando Sentinel, http://www.orlandosentinel.com/
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