Man digging for tortoises says he planned to eat them
![e504d442-martin county tortoise arrest_1526988045868.jpg-401385.jpg](https://images.foxtv.com/static.my9nj.com/www.my9nj.com/content/uploads/2019/09/764/432/martin20county20tortoise20arrest_1526988045868.jpg_5566644_ver1.0_640_360.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Courtesy: Martin County Sheriff's Office
STUART, Fla. (AP) - Florida wildlife officials say a man they found in possession of two gopher tortoises, said he didn't want to keep them as pets - he planned to eat them.
Martin County Sheriff's officials said they responded to Seabranch Preserve State Park in Stuart, Florida after receiving a report of a "man down." Instead, they found 28-year-old Robert Lane digging into the ground Sunday pulling out gopher tortoises.
According to a Facebook post from the sheriff's office, Lane had just pulled out a male and female and was looking for more. He told authorities he planned to go home and eat them.
Gopher tortoises are a federally protected threatened species. They dig deep burrows for shelter.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission is investigating. The tortoises were returned to the hole they were pulled from.