Tortoise Found!

[waddo]

I have been to "Lost & Found" and "Pets" and nothing there so will post this here:

Yesterday whilst watering a totally enclosed and dog escape proof part of the garden we found a fully grown tortoise wandering down the path. Now, unless (We have named him/her Collin, from the film The Great Escape) Collin can climb a 1.5 mtr high chain link fence, eat his way through the thick hedges that are interwoven between the chain links or dig a tunnel under the concrete that the chain link is set in - I have no idea how he got in the garden! He can not fly! He can not climb a step higher than 8 cm - this because he is only 12 cm long and needs a pivot point more than half way down his shell to climb anything higher than 5 cm! He is too heavy for a passing Magpie to have carried him in. If he had been thrown over my fence he would have landed on concrete tile and now be an EX Collin! As far as I can make out he is not native to Cyprus. NO, as far as I can make out he has no work permit, visa and is not a member of the list of legal entertainers - lol.

He seems to be a happy chap, living in an old cardboard water pump box full of straw at the moment, eating his way through tomatoes, cucumber, cabbage and carrots and happy to sit in a shallow dish and drink the water. My dogs are confused because Collin lives inside a wire cage run so they can't get at him, he is no good as a guard tortoise, fails to bark at visitors, can't catch a cat, won't eat mosquitoes, just seems to sleep, eat, drink and crap!

So, my first question is: ANYONE LOST A TORTOISE IN THE CATALKOY AREA? Got to shout that as its a big area. Second question is: ANYONE WANT A TORTOISE? Shouting again, sorry!

We don't want to keep him as we are a little bit worried that the dogs will get into his run and start to play "Toss the Tortoise", which would not be good for Colin.

[northerngirl]

Hi we live over the mountain and gave three tortoise. If no one claims him or wants him let me know and we will have him

[munchy]

HaHaHa, Nice one waddo

[Navek]

It's quite possible that Collin is one of the 1st lot of new builders,
drafted in to finish off the half built houses
Just a thought

Grace may be interested your tortoise, if not claimed
http://www.kibkomnorthcyprusforum.com/m ... le&u=13650
I know she has taken some for her "Animal Farm" in the past.
Navek

[waddo]

Would now like to end this thread with a happy ending.

Collin (the escape artist) has now gone off to a new home where he will have met up with another five tortoise/s and hopefully live a long and happy life wandering round two and a half donum of land that is totally enclosed and Escape Tortoise Proof. Thank you for all who replied although nobody did report a missing tortoise. We have come to the conclusion that Collin used to belong to a family who has now either left the area or more likely left the Island and could not take him with them. I would guess that Collin was placed in our garden, knowing that we live here full time, in the hopes that we would look after him - a good choice I might add, it made sure he was safe, had plenty of things to eat and eventually would be found by us. He was super safe up there as he could not get out - SO HOW DID HE GET IN?? We think now that Collin must have been happy in our garden for many months before we found him and that it was only because we made up our minds to finally clear the garden and stop it being a jungle that he was found at all. The dogs have been snuffling round up there for many a month but we always thought they were on the prowl for the famous "Cyprus Bald Tail Squirrel" so we just ignored them.

Never mind, it will remain a mystery, but at least Collin is now "Homed" in a safe location, away from my "Toss the Tortoise" dogs and it all ends happily.

Oh Yes - "T" - sorry he peed on your foot!!!! Nice to meet you and let us know if HE turns out to be a SHE if/when you find out. Good luck.

[jacob]

Lovely ending to a post that made me chuckle. I'm sure Collin is thinking of you and your dogs whilst merrily munching his way around his new garden.

[waddo]

Yeah! It don't always have to be doom and gloom - that's the responsibility of Cyprus Today - keep your glass half full in your mind and its a wonderful place to live.

[weddingsnorthcyprus]

Colin has settled in well but is now known as no 6, He is slightly smaller than my 5 year old baby so i suspect that he is either a 4 year old or he is going to be a her but only time will tell.