150-pound tortoise called Clark found on the run by police

Tortoise reunited with family after being held by police in Los Angeles

Clark, the 150-pound tortoise found on the run by police (Alhambra Police/Facebook)

A large tortoise named Clark has been reunited with his family after he was found on the run by police in California.

The 150-pound creature was captured by Alhambra police after a short-lived pursuit on Saturday afternoon, but it took two officers to load the tortoise into the police car.

Police appealed to the tortoise’s owner over Facebook, uploading pictures of the animal with a few jokes thrown in for good measure.

"The tortoise did try to make a run for it, but our officers are pretty fast. Almost had a pursuit!" Alhambra Police wrote.

Before Clark was piled into the police car (Alhambra Police/Facebook)

"It took two officers to take this guy into custody because it weighs about 150 pounds (and our cuffs… well, not practical in this situation)."

Less than 24 hours later police had updated their Facebook page, informing people that the tortoise had been "reunited with his human family," adding that the reptile’s name is Clark.