Tortoise back home in Chester after Blackpool trip

Aug 25 2011 by David Holmes, Chester Chronicle

A LOST tortoise from Chester has been reunited with his rightful owners after going on an unscheduled seaside outing to Blackpool.

Sue Thompson and daughter Rachael, who live on a farm in Dunkirk, are grateful to a couple from the Lancashire town who spotted 2ft-long Harry about to step on to the A5117 on Monday afternoon.

Lee Healey and family were driving home from a trip to Chester Zoo, which was where they returned, with Harry in the boot, in case he was an escapee.

The zoo’s reptile expert, Matt Swatman, confirmed the giant sulcata was not a fugitive and made calls to the RSPCA but no-one could be contacted, so Lee and partner Rebecca agreed to drive him to Blackpool until the owner could be traced.

Meantime, owners Sue and Rachael Thompson searched into the early hours for Harry who has been in the family 10 years.

Rachael, 29, followed Harry’s tracks down a lane and into a corn field until the trail ran dry.

“Apparently he was just ready to cross the road so we are really grateful to them,” she said.

“He didn’t really know where he was going. We were a little bit worried.”

Rachael believes foxes chewed through wire mesh fencing in the garden, allowing Harry to make a bolt for freedom. She drove to zoo after her uncle heard through a customer at their farm shop that a tortoise had been taken there.

After another 70mph journey along the motorway, the tortoise was back home by Tuesday afternoon and none the worse for his ordeal.

Good Samaritan Lee, 27, said he and his two toddler sons got on famously with Harry, who they had nicknamed ‘Chester’, but claimed the tortoise had grunted and hissed at his ‘missus’.

Relieved at the happy ending, Lee said he had been reluctant to take on responsibility for the tortoise long term because they can live for such a long time.

“I’m not coming to Chester again!” he joked.