Baby Tortoise Found Covered in Concrete Is Rescued in Florida

The gopher tortoise hatchling likely walked through "freshly poured concrete" before a local wildlife center found it

Tracey Harrington McCoy is a celebrity news writer at PEOPLE Digital.

A young tortoise was found covered in concrete in Florida, according to a Facebook post by the wildlife center currently caring for the reptile.

Peace River Wildlife Center in Punta Gorda, Florida, shared the story about the tortoise stuck in a hard place on November 17.

"This little one came in covered in concrete!" the wildlife center posted on Facebook. "A house was being built next to where this gopher tortoise was found, and we believe it must have walked through the freshly poured concrete."

The center explained that the tortoise is a hatchling, meaning the reptile is under a year old. Peace River added that the small tortoise likely stepped into the concrete while exploring on its own.

"This is most likely a hatchling that is out on its own for the first time and just happened on an unfortunate situation," the center stated. "This nest was probably on a neighboring property."

The rescue removed the tortoise's concrete shell by "delicately chipping it off over a couple days with our nails," the Peace River Wildlife Center shared, adding this method was chosen because it posed the least harm to the tortoise.

"Our friend is good as new," the center concluded. "After some good nutrition and hydration, this gopher tortoise will be back out in the wild!"

This isn't the first tortoise to lose its way this year.

Visitors to a San Antonio park came across an unexpected walker in August: a tortoise weighing at least 50 pounds wandering on a trail.

According to a Facebook post from the City of San Antonio Animal Care Services (San Antonio ACS), parkgoers found the tortoise on August 7 in Phil Hardberger Park.

The tortoise's rescuers reported the animal to 3-1-1, and animal care officers responded to the call, per San Antonio ACS. Two responding officers had to carry the bulky tortoise from the trail to their vehicle.

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Animal care officers took the tortoise to Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation, an animal welfare organization in San Antonio.

In a statement to PEOPLE, Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation confirmed that the tortoise it received was reclaimed by its owner the following day.