|
 Shell
shock over the homing tortoise
15/07/2000
Rambo the runaway tortoise set out on an epic 40-mile journey to find his
former home - and was picked up nine weeks later, having travelled only
two miles.
The 22-year-old family pet made his slow-motion dash for freedom after coming
out of hibernation to discover he was in a strange place.
His owners had moved homes while he was hibernating and when bewildered
Rambo awoke he was determined to get home.
So he ambled under the gate of the unfamiliar back garden and headed east.
Nine weeks later, the homing tortoise was found a couple of miles from his
new garden - still determinedly heading towards Newcastle.
Owners Archie and Sylvia Macmillan had given up hope after he vanished from
their garden in the Northumberland village of Falstone in May.
They assumed he had been spirited away or, it being the mating season, had
turned his head to thoughts of love.
He was grubby and travel-stained but was fine after a warm bath, a hearty
meal of lettuce and cucumber and a much-needed snooze.
Mother-of-two Mrs Macmillan, 53, said: "It's hard explaining to a tortoise
that he has moved home.
"We were ever so upset. He is part of the family, but thankfully he
hadn't got far.
"We were amazed when the farmer arrived at our front door asking us
if Rambo belonged to us.
"Everybody in the village was looking for him because they knew we
had had him for so long.
"There was a big search party out, but we had more or less given him
up when he was suddenly found."
|
|
|
