Not every human or every beast can enjoy the fate of the Shawshank Redemption’s Andy Dufresne after his stomach churning romp through the bowels of prison and 300 feet of unmentionable unpleasantness until reaching the ultimate cleansing breach of freedom.
Unfortunately, a chain of similar events with completely differing results were not recorded into the storybook annals of Hollywood endings for an Alligator Snapping Turtle fresh from the hijinks of a wondrous bend through the nightlife in Houston.
According to ABC News, the rare turtle species weighing in at 53 pounds became lodged in a steel storm drain pipe and was spotted by a resident. Eventually the local fire department was called and employed various tactics before the beast was finally rescued and taken into protective custody at an animal hospital. While “Snappy” vows never again to party to the point of know return, one can marvel at the vast array of agencies and resources utilized in the rescue.
“The state has designated them as threatened with extinction, so once the compromised alligator snapping turtles have healed, Houston SPCA’s Wildlife Center of Texas will work with Texas Parks and Wildlife to release them both in a suitable habitat.”
Read the full ABC News story here.