The New York Police Department are   hunting down a gang of thief who have steal one of the city ’s treasure : a really heavy , really expensive tortoise .

The African - spurred tortoise , who goes by the name Millennium , was discovered overleap from the Alley Pond Environmental Center in Queens , New York , on Monday morning , evoke he   had been stolen over the weekend or during the night .

The tortoise is 17 years previous , which is clean youthful for this metal money consider they can know for well over100 years . Native to   North and East Africa , this species is the largest tortoise on   the African mainland and listed as “ Vulnerable ” under theIUCN Red List .

Millennium weighs around 45 kilograms ( 100 pounds ) , so stealing him   would   belike be hard .

“ They had to have a car –   there is no way they are going to drag him down Northern Boulevard , ” Alley Pond Environmental Center doer Sasha Sicard told theNew York Post .

“ They could n’t push him through the [ hole in the ] fence , ” animal caretaker Carlos Martinez added . “ They probably handed him off to someone else . ”

Why would any vex slip a tortoise ? Workers at the Alley Pond Environmental Center assure the Post that the tortoise could fetch upwards of $ 2,500 on the black marketplace . Recent years have see an increment in demand for tortoises of all mintage , with many   ending up in theblack mart and headedfor Asia . specially in China , these animals are ordinarily regarded as a symbolic representation of wealthiness and status , or or else used in traditional medicines .

As for Millennium , it ’s still unsealed why anybody would steal him ,   although the black market seems the most feasible reason . The NYPD is presently refresh the security television camera footage and some funny footmark in the hopes of catching the culprits . The   NYC Mayor ’s Officeeven tweetedyesterday , order : " facilitate us get hold Millennium ! " along with some tortoise emojis .

“ It never would have even happen to me that someone would steal him , " Venus Hall , an educator at the snapper , toldDNAinfo New York . " It could be anyone . "

" It was quite shocking and unsatisfying because Millennium is one of our cock-a-hoop attractiveness here . "