Pet tortoise snatched by armed robber in Co. Down

by Michael McHugh, PA

A pet tortoise has been snatched during a burglary at knifepoint at a home in Co Down.

The tortoise is a Horsfield’s tortoise and requires specialist care.

The burglary happened at Elliots Place in Strangford at about midnight into Thursday.

A police spokesman said: “A number of items stolen from the property were recovered a short distance away.

“However, the medals and the householder’s pet tortoise remain missing.

“The victim is understandably upset and concerned that the tortoise, which requires specialist knowledge and care, may come to harm.”

The occupant of the house was awakened at about midnight to find a male masked intruder in his property.

When he confronted the intruder, believed to have been armed with a knife, the intruder made off on foot.

The Horsfield’s tortoise is found in the wild in parts of central and western Asia.

Its diet consists of vegetation like grasses, leaves and flowers. Almost all the moisture the reptiles need usually comes from their food, according to conservationists.

They are classed as vulnerable as they are threatened by habitat loss and degradation due to over-grazing and the clearing of land for agriculture.