- Leonardo the tortoise went missing last July
- Its owner had the beloved pet for 13 years
- Thankfully, he didn’t travel far
A tortoise that had gone missing for nine months turned up just a mile from its home.
The reptile was owned by Rachel Etches and had been her beloved pet for the past 13 years. Together, they lived happily in their rural home in Ulverston, Cumbria until Leonoardo decided to go for a wander.
Read more: Most viewed photo ever looks “ruined” today
His owner set up a social media campaign to try and find him but Leonardo remained missing for months on end.
Thankfully, a dog walker eventually stumbled across him and transported Leo to a nearby pet shop. His owners were contacted soon afterwards.
Read more: A rare New Zealand snail seen laying egg from neck
His owner was unsure as to whether her pet would’ve survived for so long on his own. However, as it turns out, Leonardo had simply gone into hibernation during the winter and decided to wake up once the weather had improved.
“He was found about a mile from our house”
Naturally, his owner was delighted to be reunited with her much-loved pet.
“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,” Etches told the BBC.
“He’s gone on his travels around our little hamlet and he was found about a mile from our house,” she added.
“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.”
Not the first time he’s gone missing
Despite returning with a sore eye, Leonardo survived his adventure unscathed – and well rested after a stint in hibernation.
It isn’t the first time the creature has launched an escape plot either. According to its owner, Leonardo tried to make a run for it a few years back but was only missing for a couple of days before he was eventually found.
“They’re very adventurous beings, they always test the boundaries of wherever they’re put,” explained his owner.
This most recent trip is his longest yet – and hopefully, his last big journey for a while.
