TF resident has unusual visitor

Thompson Falls residents are used to seeing wildlife in their yards, but one family had a very unique visitor earlier this month.

Eric Nygaard discovered a 30-year-old African tortoise in his yard on August 8. According to Nygaard, Myrtle's owner was out of town and she was being watched by the owner's nephew. She showed up at the Nygaard residence about three-quarters of a mile mile from her home on Harlow Road. Eric found her at 10:15 in the morning. He had to put the wheelbarrow over her to contain her. When she started moving the wheelbarrow, Nygaard then put an 80-pound bag of pig feed of top of it. When that still didn't slow her down, he put another bag of feed on the upturned wheelbarrow to contain Myrtle until she could be rescued by her owners.

"I think she showed up the night before because the coyotes were making strange noises and going nuts," Nygaard said. The next morning he began calling around to find her owner. His neighbor helped out.

Nygaard contacted the game warden, then Sanders County Feed. An employee there said her mother used to own Myrtle before she passed away. Someone was then able to track down a number for Myrtle's owner.The nephew came and had to lift the more than 70-pound, 27-inch long tortoise with a bear hug. "He said she has done this before," Nygaard concluded.