Have you seen Vonu? The tortoise escaped from his yard in Metchosin during a busy day on Sunday. He’s a repeat offender and has broken out before.
In the past, Vonu has been been captured at the next-door Olympic View Golf Club and at a neighbour’s home near the 4000 block of Metchosin Road.
Owner Erica Makofka figures Vonu likely made a bee-line for the golf course and is hunting for dandelions, a favourite snack.
Vonu is earthy-brown and grey coloured. “He looks like a rock.”
He is slightly more than 30.5 centimetres (a bit more than a foot) long and weighs about seven kilograms (15 pounds).
Vonu is beloved family member with an adventurous streak. “He likes to go fast when you’re not watching him.”
He is quite a character, she said. “You know it would seem like a boring pet but he’s not at all.”
Vonu lives outdoors year-round in a large fenced area and at night will dig into the earth and make himself a place to stay.
He likes the golf course so the family will be searching there when the golfers leave. The family home is near the fourth hole and he was found once before at the sixth hole. That’s why they’ve been asking golfers to be on the lookout for him.
They hope warmer weather during the day will bring him out of wherever he is and make him visible.
Makofka adopted Vonu four years ago when his owner couldn’t keep him. “He loved climbing rocks and he was always just on the move.”
Makofka can’t recall what species Vonu is but has been told he could grow quite large. The tortoise about 40 years old.
Vonu will come to her when he hears her voice but would be unlikely to respond in a place like the golf course where he would be distracted, his owner said. If you come across Vonu, put him in a box and send an email to [email protected].
