Warmer weather sends lonely tortoises looking for love
FRISKY tortoises have been going on the run as the weather gets warmer.
The GSPCA has asked tortoise owners to check their homes are secure and that there are no means of escape, to ensure their pet’s safety.
The advice follows another appeal for islanders to keep an eye out for missing tortoise Terry, who is reported to have wandered off.
Six have been reported missing in the last week alone.
It comes as a result of the weather warming up in spring, when tortoises leave the comfort of hibernation and set off in search of a mate.
‘It tends to be the males who do most of the wandering off, looking for ladies and looking for love,’ said GSPCA manager Steve Byrne.
‘We can see over 30 stray tortoises brought into the shelter and nearly all of them are boys.
‘It is down to the lovely warm weather we’ve been having.
‘I have four tortoises in my garden and all of the boys are very active now.’
There are currently eight tortoises under the GSPCA’s care. One of them – Hilda – is in her 80s and was left to the shelter in a legacy will.
Mr Byrne said that in the past week they had been made aware of about half a dozen stray tortoises.
‘Mostly they’ve escaped because somebody has left the gate open or there is an area in the garden they can scuttle out of.
‘They can travel reasonably quickly and some have been found half a mile or a mile away from their home.
‘Thankfully we don’t have too many predators on the island that would cause harm and apart from the danger of the roads, so most of the time they can be reunited.’
He advised people to let the GSPCA know as soon as possible if their tortoise is missing.
To prevent escape, he asked owners to check the perimeter of their garden.
‘Owners need to make sure their pet’s environment is secure and there aren’t any places that have been damaged over the winter that they can escape from,’ he said.
‘Fences can be damaged due to the wind and bad weather and also people can leave gates open.
‘Give them half a chance and they will wander, so ensuring everything is safe and secure can prevent them wandering off.’
