HULL AND EAST RIDING MAIL (UK) 30 July 08 Tortoise goes walkabout after 55 years
A tortoise kept by its owner for 55 years has gone missing.
Tommy the tortoise, affectionately called Torty, could be as old as 100 years and concerns are growing for his welfare since he disappeared on Friday night.
Worried owner Wendy Beadle, 58, has had Torty since she was three years old and her daughters Nina, 22, and Anna, 18, have never known life without him.
Mrs Beadle, of Keyingham Road, fears he could be attacked by foxes or dogs and is pleading to the public for help finding him.
She said: “He was in the garden at 5pm on Friday. We have a few acres so we are used to him missing for a short while, but we normally find him within an hour.
“In 55 years he has never been gone this long.
“We are very concerned and really upset.”
Torty has white marks on his shell from when he was attacked by a dog and also has a small hole in his shell through which a piece of string has been threaded with foil attached to make him easier to find.
Wendy said she cannot rule out the possibility Torty has been stolen.
She said: “He has just disappeared completely. We are scratched and bruised looking for him and everyone has been out searching for him.”
Anyone who sees Torty is asked to call the Beadles on 07932 141350.
Tortoise goes walkabout after 55 years