TORTOISE HELL
Anguish as ancient reptiles inherited from parents are nicked from garden
OWNERS of two stolen pet tortoises that are more than a century old have issued a desperate plea for their return. Police are probing the theft of the two beloved reptiles from a back garden. Dave and Louise Conacher initially thought their female tortoise April had managed to break out of her enclosure in Ceres, Fife. Her disappearance sparked a frantic search but she was nowhere to be seen. However, the couple called police after their male tortoise Toby disappeared two days later. Louise said she and Dave inherited the tortoises from her parents and they were very much part of the family. She said: “They are fairly big tortoises and would be worth a good few hundred pounds but it’s not the money. It’s the sentimental value of them.
“One of them is about 150 years old and the other one we found about 34 years ago when we were on holiday, so they’ve been in my family pretty much all my life. We’d really like to have them back.”
The couple last saw April at about 5.30pm on September 6. Toby’s disappearance between 12.30pm and 3.10pm two days later prompted police involvement.
Louise added: “We’re 100 per cent certain they’ve been stolen after Toby went missing.”
Dave posted on Facebook asking for information and said he was “absolutely gutted and livid” that someone would steal two family pets.
A police spokesman said: “Officers are investigating the theft of two tortoises from a property in the Ceres area of Fife. Inquiries are ongoing.”