NEW YORK–When Sean Casey called the police to report that a nameless two-headed turtle had been kidnapped, the officer had him repeat the complaint two or three times.
"It comes off that I am a prankster," said Casey, who runs the Hamilton Dog House, an animal shelter and pet supply store on East Third St. in Brooklyn. "Most people have never heard of a two-headed turtle," he explained, much less a missing one. But the turtle was indeed two-headed, and it was missing. The police finally took Casey seriously: "They said, `We'll send somebody.' And they did."
The police arrived several hours later and took a stolen-property report. The turtle, popular among the neighbourhood children, had been kept in the window area. Sometime on Sunday between the store's opening at 11 a.m. and noon, when a child asked Casey where the turtle had gone, its disappearance was discovered.
"It looks like they searched the entire store and they could not find the turtle," said a police spokesperson. "I guess this qualifies as a missing turtle report, but I don't think we're out there looking for it." There were no suspects in the case.
Two-headed turtles are rare, but they do have a chance of surviving in captivity, Casey said Monday. They just have to be watched carefully. Feeding is a problem. Turtle pellets must be broken into two pieces or the two heads will fight over the food, he said.
Casey said he suspected that the turtle had been taken by a neighbourhood child, rather than a thief intent on selling it.
He said he believed the turtle was worth between $2,000 and $5,000, based on what museums and zoos might pay.
