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Butti the Tortoise, Bronx Zoo Cobra Both Missing from Zoos

By Stephanie Rabiner, Esq. on March 31, 2011 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Twitter has some new members:

@ButtiTortoise and @BronxZoosCobra

In an odd turn of events, the two reptiles--Butti the Tortoise of Colorado Springs' Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and the lame-named Bronx Zoo Cobra--are both missing. Within a day of one another.

If you think this is a nefarious plan on the part of our future reptilian overlords, think again. Butti the Tortoise is believed to have been stolen.

On Saturday, the deadly, black Bronx Zoo Cobra went missing, forcing the zoo to close down its reptile house. He (she?) became an immediate star, tweeting his New York City whereabouts.

On Sunday, Butti the Tortoise disappeared from his enclosure. The 13-year-old slow poke, who usually takes part in a hands-on exhibit, is believed to have been stolen. His brother, Tutti, was abandoned, reports CBS.

Butti is an Indian Star tortoise--a particularly rare species. Though Butti is also tweeting, his disappearance is serious business.

Right now, @ButtiTortoise is reporting that an $800 reward is being offered for his safe return, but he's probably worth much more than that. And because tortoises are considered property, if his worth is more than $500, his captor can be charged with a class 4 felony under Colorado state law.

If you know anything about Butti the Tortoise, his caretakers are worried about his health, so please share any information that you may have.

And, if you've seen Bronx Zoo Cobra around the city, let him know that Facebook wants him to host SNL.

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