Beloved tortoise stolen from Queens environmental center returned

DOUGLASTON, Queens (WABC) -- A 17-year-old tortoise taken from a Queens environmental center was returned when a person who unwittingly traded for it, not knowing it had been stolen, called police.

The Connecticut man traded his musk turtle for the 90-pound African spurred tortoise, named Millennium.

Unbeknownst to him, the turtle he traded for had actually been stolen from the Alley Pond Environmental Center in Douglaston on July 16.

He saw that police were looking for it and called the NYPD.

No arrests have been made, and police are still investigating who might have initially taken the turtle.

Authorities say its enclosure had been broken, and the NYPD confirmed there was a forced entry.

Millennium weighs approximately 90 to 95 pounds, and he is described as a gentle giant known for eliciting smiles and laughter from kids and a love of watermelon.

Alley Pond is a nonprofit educational organization that advocates for sustainable environmental policies and practices.