Runaway tortoise found after two years at equestrian centre – five miles from owner’s home

A RUNAWAY tortoise has turned up two years later — with horses at an equestrian centre five miles away.

Jemima, 50, made a slow trip from Charles Waddell’s home in May 2021, leaving daughter Beatrice, now ten, devastated.

The family had made appeals on social media but had given up hope of seeing the animal again.

But she is back after the stables posted on Facebook that a tortoise had been found.

Lawyer Charles, of Haydon Bridge, Northumberland, said: “Beatrice is thrilled.”

Last year a pet tortoise owner told how she came up with a unique way to try and stop him escaping.

Three-year-old Elmo had repeatedly scaled a wire fence to try to flee and had also been lost in hedges.

So owner Claudia Carter tied a helium balloon around his belly, making him easy to find if he tried to run away.

She said: “I don’t think he can run away as easily as he once could."