Danville preschool and Village of Avon host visiting tortoise during Hendricks County stop
A 55‑pound African spurred tortoise named Olli was brought to Hendricks County by owners KayLynn Neal and Wes Denton during a cross‑country RV trip; Olli visited a Jamestown farm, met students at Snoopy School in Danville and spent time with family and residents at the Village of Avon.

Olli is an approximately 12‑year‑old African spurred (sulcata) tortoise weighing about 55 pounds. Owners KayLynn Neal and Wes Denton transported him from California in a rented motorhome so they could maintain his care on the road — including roughly two‑hour daily walks and a primarily grass‑based diet — during a trip of nearly 2,200 miles that included stops in several states before arriving in Hendricks County.
While in the county, Olli wandered a farm in Jamestown, visited students at Snoopy School in Danville after an invitation from Melissa Denton, and spent time with family and residents at the Village of Avon. Melissa said the students enjoyed meeting Olli and were surprised by his pace; Marcia Denton said it was the first time the family had met him.
Report a correction · Editorial standards · Our source directory
BusinessIndy examines this development and its implications for Indiana businesses and communities using the linked sources.
Continued verification is in progress.
Sources
Source date recorded as July 22, 2026 at 10:48 AM EDT. A sourced news brief; no independent staff reporting is implied. Prepared with AI assistance; source-dependent claims remain attributed in the article.
Related coverage
- York Automotive’s Plainfield dealership donates part of every lease or purchase to local nonprofits via ‘Drive to Donate’
- Pittsboro’s data-center question: what followed the Vantage zoning vote?
- The Boxes Next Door: A Brownsburg truck-lot vote tests Hendricks County’s logistics bargain
Reader discussion
Join the discussion. Every comment is checked before publication. Community rules and appeals