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Gopher Tortoise Alliance urges residents to report injuries, offers rehab and outreach resources
Summary
At the Sebastian Natural Resources Board meeting the Gopher Tortoise Alliance described 71 hotline calls so far in 2026, 35 tortoises taken into rehab and urged residents to report violations to FWC, donate, and follow safe handling guidance.
Blaine, representing the Gopher Tortoise Alliance, told the City of Sebastian Natural Resources Board that the group has handled dozens of calls this year about injured and displaced gopher tortoises and relies on donations and volunteers to run its rehab operation.
"So most of our calls this year, we had 71 calls," Blaine said, detailing that 55 were for injured or sick tortoises, 35 animals were taken into the Alliance's rehab facility, 18 were vehicle strikes and six involved dog bites. He said the Alliance's rehab site is in Fort Pierce (Lakewood Park) and urged residents to call the group's hotline at (772) 228-1492 for guidance and transport.
Blaine explained safe handling advice for members of the public: move a tortoise only in the direction it was headed, support its shell with two hands and, if transporting, make clear you are taking it to a licensed rehab center. He asked residents to report habitat destruction or burrow collapse to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) rather than attempting enforcement on their own.
Board members asked about local population estimates and recipient sites for off-site relocations; Blaine and other speakers said the county lacks complete survey data and that many recipient sites in other counties are at or near capacity. The Alliance said it is training a conservation dog to help survey properties and has trialed lightweight trackers to monitor released tortoises.
The Alliance asked for financial support and volunteers; Blaine directed people to gophertortoisealliance.org and noted the care and long rehabilitation timelines mean donations are critical. The board thanked the group and noted the presentation will be recorded and posted.
