Sam Lin was playing with her little girl at her Long Beach home over the weekend when she noticed two women outside their garden were fixated on something.

When Lin stepped outside, she was surprised: A 100 pound, 2 foot wide sulcata desert tortoise was chewing on its grass and plants.

The two women had followed the turtle since they spotted him near Pacific Avenue and Bixby Road to make sure he wasn’t hit by a car, Lin said. It’s about four blocks from Lin’s house on Weston Place and Bixby Road.

When Lin realized that she had to help find his humans, she welcomed the reptile into her garden after protecting her cherry tomato plant with her daughter’s baby gate. “I didn’t want him to run away, but I was afraid he might eat them all,” she said.

Lured by coriander, the turtle explored its temporary home while Lin shared news about the pet on social media.

Lindsay Smith takes her house turtle Andy for a walk in Long Beach.

Lindsay Smith takes her house turtle Andy for a walk in Long Beach.

(Courtesy Lindsay Smith)

About half a block from Lin’s house, Lindsay Smith searched her yard for her scaly pet Andy. She noticed that he was gone when he wasn’t in his favorite corner. Earlier that morning she unloaded her truck and suspected it might have escaped through the back gate when it was left open.

She called on social media, “Someone saw a giant desert turtle before Bixby? I think my fool got away. ”

It wasn’t the first time. Once Andy was driving down the Pacific Coast Highway near the Long Beach Traffic Circle. Then there are times when the postman Andy regularly watches over his home.

Smith grew up with reptiles as pets. Her parents have been members of the California Desert Tortoise Society for years.

When she bought Andy – at the time she thought she was a girl and had the name Angela – in a pet store 17 years ago, he was only a few inches tall. Smith didn’t know he was going to get that big. In fact, Sulcata tortoises are the third largest species of tortoise in the world and can reach over 200 pounds.

While sulcata turtles are interesting and lovable, Smith cautions those interested in getting one as a pet. Regardless of their size, they can live up to 70 years.

“They’re not really easy to take care of,” she said, describing Andy as an “angry teenager”. Some days he’s grumpy and knocks things over, like her BBQ grill. On other days it is soft.

A man picks up a giant tortoise.

Kay Lin picks up Andy, a 100 pound turtle that migrated into his yard.

(Courtesy Sam Lin)

Using social media, Lin and Smith connected. But Andy had already gone to sleep under a bush at 4 p.m.

The next morning Smith came to Lin’s house in a car. Andy was still sleeping. Smith shook him gently while Lin’s husband, Kay, prepared to load him into the car.

Kay wrapped his arms around Andy’s armor and dropped him into the car. He barely fit.

“At that point, I was just happy to have him at home,” said Smith. “He had a great adventure. It will be a while before he gets the next time. ”