The Smallest Turtle

Another Britt.  I wonder how old these are?

Love that they rented to a guy named Badger.

This old stairwell was quite amazing and I came upon it by accident.

In order to climb these stairs, I did one of those smooth moves where I slipped in through that black gate after a resident exited.

I walk Lyon each morning and see new things every time I venture out.  I've been to 3 museums this week as well.  My second favorite job would be museum curator.  Or maybe just a museum docent. 

In the afternoons, back from my walkabout, I work on some writing, both fiction and non-fiction.  I have finished a short story about a boy named Barton and now I am writing a little story about the American turtles in the Lyon sanctuary. 

This morning I walked back to Park Tete D'Or to look at the turtles again. In my research, I read that the zookeepers remove the turtle eggs, so they don't reproduce.  This makes sense I suppose, though it is a bit sad. But here's the weird thing.  I saw one small turtle today.  Maybe 4 inches long?  Much smaller than the others.  If France stopped importing American turtles in 1993, where'd this guy come from?  Did an egg get overlooked?  Maybe these turtles have a few tricks up their sleeves?

 I wish I could get hold of a zookeeper to help me answer this question as well as the questions in the bulleted list below:

• How many turtles have died of old age at the sanctuary? (These turtles live 30 to 40 years).
• Do people ever steal the turtles from the sanctuary?  (It would be so tempting to just reach down and nab one).
• Are people still abandoning turtles in 2021?  
• Does anyone ever regret abandoning their turtle and ask for their turtle back, as they sob and wail?
• I've read that 2600 turtles were brought to the sanctuary between 2006 and 2018, but what's the population now?  
• Is it possible to take one of the turtles back to the U.S. with me when I leave next spring?
• If it is possible, may I have the smallest turtle?