Each year the Arizona Game and Fish Department adopts out countless numbers of captive desert tortoises that are surrendered to the department. Unfortunately, they cannot be released back into the wild because they could transmit diseases that can affect the wild population, so a solution was created - a tortoise conservation program.
Savannah Antillon was one of the people who immediately knew she wanted to adopt one. The woman chose a 30-year-old female, named her Georgie and started to share their precious daily adventures, which instantly went viral on social media.
More info: Savannah Antillon
Savannah Antillon, who lives in Tucson, Arizona, adopted a 30-year-old Sonoran desert tortoise named Georgie
Image credits: Savannah Antillon
Image credits: Savannah Antillon
Image credits: Savannah Antillon
Sonoran desert tortoises are a protected species in Arizona. Therefore, it’s illegal to hold them captive as pets unless by legally adopting them through the state’s tortoise conservation program, and the person must be an Arizona resident.
Originally from the Northwoods of Wisconsin, Savannah Antillon and her husband decided to move to the desert, and once they heard about the opportunity to adopt a tortoise, they couldn't resist, since they both are true nature lovers.
Of course, it wasn't that easy. First, Savannah had to build a proper habitat in her backyard and then get it approved by the program, but once everything was set, the woman could finally bring the tortoise home. It was definitely love at first sight!
"This spring I adopted a Sonoran desert tortoise named Georgie," Savannah shared in an interview with Bored Panda. "She’s 30 years old (the same age as me!), and because tortoises live for a long time, I like to think that we’ll grow old together."
Before adoption, Georgie was surrendered to the state with six other female tortoises.
"Tortoises are solitary creatures that are meant to live alone, so it’s likely that she was living in an unhealthy environment before she came to me," Savannah explained. "Georgie has some pyramiding on her shell (the raised bumps), which is a sign of an unhealthy diet in her early years. In her new habitat, I feed her mainly desert plants that grow natively here in Tucson. It’s a cool way for me to learn about and appreciate the landscape around me!"
Georgie is the same age as Savannah and since Sonoran desert tortoises can live to be 100 years old, the woman expects to grow old together
Image credits: Savannah Antillon
Image credits: Savannah Antillon
Image credits: Savannah Antillon
Image credits: Savannah Antillon
Savannah and her husband live in a beautiful pink house. Their yard is full of amazing native plants and cacti, but the woman wanted to find a way for her tortoise to expand her diet so she came up with the idea of Georgie’s weeding business.
"If you’d like to get rid of any weeds in your yard, please let me know - I can bring Georgie over to graze (she is also very cute)," she wrote one day in an email to her neighbors.
It didn't take long for everyone all over the neighborhood to start to leave out bundles of weeds for Georgie.
"Walking has been a fun way for us to connect with the neighborhood," Savannah said and noted that Georgie loves to walk, and is actually much speedier than people would expect!
The tortoise loves to graze in people’s yards and collect her bundles. Once someone even offered her prickly pear fruit, and it became her favorite snack from then on.
"The first time I gave Georgie some prickly pear fruit to eat, she absolutely devoured it," Savannah told us. "The bright magenta juice from the fruit got all over her face and it was stained red for days. I call it her prickly pear lip gloss!"
You can find the adorable video about it here.
Image credits: Savannah Antillon
Besides adventurous walks around the neighborhood, the tortoise has also taught Savannah about patience and delayed gratification.
“She’s teaching me to slow down and to find peace in the present,” the woman said.
Soon the tortoise will be hibernating for the winter, which means getting six months of beauty sleep in her burrow from October to April, and Savannah said that she will definitely miss her a lot.
"I love to share with others about what cool creatures they are!" Savannah said.
Sonoran desert tortoises are a protected species in Arizona; it’s illegal to hold them captive as pets unless you adopt them legally through the state’s tortoise conservation program
Image credits: Savannah Antillon
Image credits: Savannah Antillon
Image credits: Savannah Antillon
Image credits: Savannah Antillon
While Savannah and Georgie have become inseparable besties for a lifetime, there are still lots and lots of tortoises that need to be adopted into healthy forever homes.
Between climate change and rapid city expansion, the desert (and all of its plants and wildlife) are unfortunately facing really challenging times, so if you want to add a unique and adorable companion to your life, you can start the adoption journey here.
People on the internet shared their very own experiences of how amazing it is having a tortoise as a pet
