Leonardo the tortoise, who vanished from his home in Ulverston, Cumbria, nine months ago, has been found safe and healthy about a mile away. The intrepid reptile covered the distance at an average pace of six metres per day.
Little Beasties Ulverston pet shop announced on Facebook that the beloved tortoise had been handed in and reunited with his owners. The store posted: "We have some fantastic news. We have found the owner of the tortoise that was handed in at the start of the week. His name is Leonardo. He went missing from his home in July last year so has been missing for nine months. His owners searched all over for him but sadly feared the worst when he wasn’t found. They couldn’t believe it when they heard the news and were really pleased he was found safe and healthy."
According to the BBC, a dog walker spotted Leonardo walking down a street and took him to the pet shop, where staff helped track down owner Rachel Etches. Etches told the broadcaster: "It was totally my fault; we were out in the garden, we’d just had our second child, I got a bit distracted and he just wandered off out of our sight. He’s led a very comfortable life for 13 years under a heat lamp in my house, so we didn’t think he was going to survive the winter being out for the first time."
Leonardo had previously escaped a few years ago but was found a couple of days later. Etches believes he hibernated during the winter and resumed moving once the weather improved. "They’re very adventurous beings, they always test the boundaries of wherever they’re put," she added.
