Iowa museum says African leopard tortoise was never stolen; employee lied to keep up the story
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An Iowa museum says an employee hid a presumed stolen African leopard tortoise in an elevator after finding the 18-pound reptile trapped behind paneling in her enclosure.
The National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium in Dubuque says the employee's bizarre move was a misguided attempt to prevent further embarrassment after officials announced Tuesday that they believed Cashew had been taken as a prank.
Cashew was discovered in the elevator on Thursday and officials said they supposed the regretful thief had smuggled her back inside.
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President and CEO Jerry Enzler says Friday that an employee actually found Cashew some time earlier, wedged behind a wall panel. The employee then put her in the elevator to keep up the impression she had been stolen.
Enzler says the employee will be reprimanded.