Couple find ‘legendary terrapin’ at nature spot
REPTILE SEEMS HAPPY IN POND AT A RESERVE IN COALVILLE
A COUPLE say they were amazed to see a terrapin in a pond at a nature reserve.
Tashaa Buswell and partner Sarah Cochrane saw the freshwater turtle at North West Leicestershire District Council’s Nature Alive reserve in Coalville when they popped out to do their weekly shop.
“I could not believe my eyes,” said Tashaa.
“It was happily swimming away with the swans and ducks. It swam right up to us.”
Tashha, 28, and 22-year-old Sarah spotted the reptile as they walked to the supermarket in Thornborough Road at about 6.30pm on Tuesday.
She said: “Just a few weeks ago we read on a local Facebook site about a terrapin which local legend had it had been living in Nature Alive for years.
“Then we happen across him in the nature reserve very soon after. It’s right next door to Lidl and Aldi.”
The pair have given him the nickname Terry and plan to visit him again.
“We have dogs and walk them down there almost every day,” said Tashaa.
“He looked healthy and happy. I don’t know much about terrapins but he looked okay to me.
“I think he is a local legend. It’s not very often you see them in the wild in England.
“The little guy came right up to us and stayed there for about 15 minutes and then carried on his merry way. It was lovely.”
Terrapins, which can grow to the size of a dinner plate, were native to Britain about 8,000 years ago and have returned, many transported from the USA as pets during the Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles cartoon craze of the 1980s.
Terrapins are omnivores, eating fruits, vegetables, grasses, flowers, fishes, snails, worms and insects,.
They can live to the age of about 30.