HALIFAX COURIER (UK) 12 July 11 Kidnapped from the garden...two tortoises worth £1,000

Poachers have swiped two tortoises from their pen in a Halifax garden.

The female and male, named Tripe and Onions, were stolen from their pen off Beechwood Road in Ovenden, Halifax.

Owner Kathleen Taylor said: “I’d put them out so they could get plenty of exercise.

“I went inside for a bit of a rest and when I came out to bring them in, they weren’t there.”

She said her husband Anthony was given the tortoises as a Christmas present five years ago.

“He is upset because they were a gift for him,” she said.

Then they were only small, but now they are grown and could be used for breeding.

She has been told they could be worth £1,000.

This is the second time the couple’s garden has been hit by wildlife thieves.

They have previously had £800 worth of koi carp taken from their pond.

Mrs Taylor says she is concerned the thieves may not realise what specialised care Tripe and Onions need.

Calderdale Police’s wildlife officer Special Constable Phil Sanderson said more tortoises were being stolen all over the UK because they have become more valuable.

“Gone are the days when you could buy a tortoise for 50p from a pet shop,” he said. “We would encourage owners to have their pets chipped so they are identifiable.”

Anyone with information about the theft should call police on 0845 6060606 or CrimeStoppers, where information can be passed on anonymously, on 0800 555111.
http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/local/kidnapped_from_the_garden_two_tortoises_worth_1_000_1_356

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