WHEN Shallbutt the spur-thighed tortoise went on an unplanned journey, his owner Lyn Redhead from Blaenffos thought she’d never see her beloved pet again.

However, six months later, farmer Wyn Jones, of Trefach Farm, near Boncath, cames across the runaway tortoise on a country lane, half a mile away from his home.

Wyn, who was checking his cattle, couldn’t quite believe what he had come across, and on closer inspection decided to take the tortoise home to safety.

“I was driving down the road when I thought I saw a piece of wood, mud or farm machinery, but as I got closer, I saw it was moving and I saw that it was a tortoise walking up the road towards me,” said Wyn.

“I picked him up and he wasn’t happy and he started hissing at me. I then took him home to show my wife Glenda and she couldn’t believe it. We’ve seen some pretty big tortoises when we have been on holiday in Turkey, but have never come across a tortoise like this around here.”

Shallbutt was kept safe and warm in a horse box overnight before being taken to Priory Vets in Cardigan, where he was looked after and assessed by veterinary nurse Jackie Chandler.

“Tortoises are very rare in this practice and we don’t see many, but I knew that they should be micro-chipped and we scanned Shallbutt’s legs and we were delighted to find that he was,” said Jackie.

“We contacted his owners who were so pleased that Shallbutt was coming home. He then had a large salad and a bath.”

Shallbutt, was originally a rescue tortoise, and has been described by his owner as a bit of an escape artist.

To get to the farm lane between Trefach Farm and Pantyderi, he would have had to cross the main Crymych to Blaenffos road and possibly, depending which way he took, would have had to cross a river.

“After six months, my husband had started dismantling his home as we never thought we’d see him again,” said Lyn.

“But when I had the phone call from the vets I just couldn’t quite believe it and I’m eternally grateful to not only the vets, but to Wyn for saving him and for taking him to the vets. We did worry he was dead but we didn’t dwell on that, and to have him home is just great. We are very fond of him.”

On arriving home from his adventure, Shallbutt, who has lost a bit of weight, has been spoilt rotten.

“He’s been fed a lot of strawberries over the weekend as they contain a lot of sugar. He’s in quite good condition, so must have had a good munch when he woke up from his hibernation. He’s also had dandelion heads, his favourite food,” added Lyn.