"He's been gone a week and I'm very sad," said Flash's owner Peggy Rhoades.

 

His name is Flash and just like that he was gone. The 100 -year-old California Desert Tortoise is a protected species. Flash has been a part of Peggy's family for more than 60 years, her husband's dying wish was to look after his tortoises.

 

"He took good care of me so we have taken good care of his tortoises and I feel obligated and I feel bad that I'm disappointing him that I now don't have flash," Rhoades said. 

 

But Peggy isn't the only one who misses flash, his tortoise wives, Thelma and Louise and his roommate Gulliver are also searching for him. They escaped about a week ago, these three didn't get far but Flash is still on the loose.

 

"I figure maybe he made it up to the street and somebody saw him and rescued him which I would rather that than him get hit by a car or something," said Flash's owner Mike Seitz.

 

A quarter inch hole on the back part of his shell drilled by a previous owner to tether him to the front yard. Perhaps this isn't his first escape attempt. But Flash is built for the desert. He burrows to stay cool and needs very little water, it's people who can hurt him.

 

"It can be pretty dangerous especially in an area where there's cars and stuff going by they have the ability to be hit by a car or get preyed on by dogs but normally its pretty safe, they have a pretty good protection system," said Desert Tortoise Conservation Outreach Coordinator at Living Desert, Kyle Pong.

 

The living desert has been put on high alert, Peggy and Mike are hoping whoever finds Flash takes good care of him, and of course gives him back to the family who loves him.

 

If you find flash please return him to the Living Desert.