Frank the Tank, the giant tortoise found in a B.C. spinach field, heads to his forever home

Six weeks after he was discovered abandoned in a Richmond, B.C., spinach field, Frank the Tank has a new home at a mystery location somewhere in the province.

The juvenile male sulcata tortoise — which could grow to be the size of a wheelbarrow and weigh up to 90 kilograms — was adopted Monday from the Maple Ridge SPCA.

Kahlee Demers, shelter manager of the Maple Ridge SPCA, said Frank's forever family was selected out of the hundreds who applied after his story made international headlines.

"Really, I was looking for a home that could secure him, keep him safe for a long time, and that has the background knowledge that you need, because this is not an introductory tortoise," said Demers.

Frank's new owner declined CBC's interview request, but did say they have prepared their home with both indoor and outdoor space that's fortified and protected. They're also committed to the long haul, knowing that sulcata tortoises can live as long as 150 years.

Even better for Frank, he is moving to a rural location with lots of room to do what he does best — dig.

It's a wonderful ending to a story that could have gone the other way considering how fragile Frank was when he first came into the care of the Maple Ridge SPCA, suffering from shell rot and a bad respiratory infection.  

Mark Vosper, B.C. SPCA animal protection services regional manager, stepped up to foster Frank during his rehabilitation.  

"That first week we really weren't sure he was going to make it," said Vosper. "He just laid under the heat lamps ... secreting liquid. He'd been outside in the cold and wet and didn't want to eat."

Good veterinary care and a course of antibiotics cured the respiratory issue and the shell rot is almost gone now too.

According to Vosper, Frank is back to his tortoise self, gobbling up hay, cabbage and peppers, and snuggling up to humans in hopes of getting a nice scratch on the shell above his neck. 

"He's a real character," said Vosper. "He likes his food, he likes his tickles and he follows you around. It's like having a big ... dog, really."

Like all pets, Frank has some less cute moments. 

"He does like to eat his own poop occasionally, if you're not quick enough," laughed Vosper. "But that's like a lot of animals."