Tortoise picked up by California Highway Patrol
The animal was returned to its owners a couple of hours later.
Published
A 250-pound tortoise was rescued by police after being spotted by the side of the road.
The animal was picked up – literally – by California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers in Santa Ynez after being spotted by a member of the public.
Pictures posted by the force show the tortoise being put into the back of a police car by officers.
The tortoise was taken in by animal rescue while CHP worked to locate its owners – who were reunited with their pet a couple of hours later.
The story went down well on Facebook where social media users enjoyed the sight of the tortoise in the back of a police car.
One joked: “Hope he wasn’t cited for speeding.”