How to safely abandon a tortoise
 

So this might sound dramatic but I am currently in South America (Chile) and some other readers may end up incapacitated or hospitalised in the developing epidemic. I am not due to fly back until next weekend. BA are still flying to Chile but may get banned by next week. I have a friend looking in on my two juvenile Iberas (one and half years old) who did not hibernate.

If my friend has to isolate or is not allowed to come to my house to feed and water them and I am stuck in South America - what would be the safest thing to do? Turn the lights/heat off? leave a lot of water/food? how long would they survive without water or food?

They currently live in two separate indoor tables with a combined heat/uv lamp.

Oh geez. I feel your pain! Is there any way your friend could take the two enclosures back to his house? If not the whole enclosure, then maybe he could just take the tortoises and keep them in cardboard boxes for the duration.

Please let us know how this turns out. I really feel for your situation.

If there is nobody at your house, then your friend would still be able to feed and water, its mixing with lots of people that would be the problem.

Currently, unless your friend has symptoms, they can still carry on as they have been.
But I think you’re thinking ahead to worst case scenario, with you stuck in South America due to no flights and your friend being on lockdown here.
I hope that won’t happen for some time and you’ll get safely home, but I’d agree with Yvonne and suggest that your friend take your torts back to theirs, even to go in a temporary set-up until you are home. They could take the lamp and food and water dishes. I think there are some posts here by Cherry Brandy showing how to make quick, cheap enclosures.
Hope that helps, but I wouldn’t recommend leaving them for a long time without heat and light or no food or water or too much as they’d gobble the food and turn the water filthy and then have nothing at all.

Thanks for the replies - I was catastrophising as I was in Patagonia and the Argentina border got closed! I am now back in civilisation (Santiago, Chile) and god willing I will be flying back to London on Sunday!

Good news. Safe flight!

No tortoises in Chilean Patagonia by the way— it is an amazing place with fantastic birds, scenery and wildlife. Got to see a Puma, Armadillos, Condors and amazing Magellanic penguins!

I am glad things have sorted themselves out and you had a great time if stressful:0)

is it all ok now ? hope you got back safely without too much angst. good on you

Now back in the UK, reunited with P&D. Amazingly the garden is stuffed with weeds even the sedum/ice plant they love is started to appear!