LOST HERMAN IN ESSEX

[alexfresco]

I came home from work at 5pm today and my family had told me they had lost Charlie (the tortoise).
His a Herman and around 7 years old.
We've been looking for hours along with all of the neighbours.
He was inside but both the front and back door was open, we think he may have got out.
Has this happened to anyone else or does anyone have any ideas how to get him back?
I've scattered some food around both the front and back garden in hope he will get hungry![/font]

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Alex:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

Can your tortoise be dug down into the ground? They are sometimes pretty hard to spot when they bury themselves.

 

[cherylim]

Oh dear. I hope you find him!

My advice would be to keep checking close to/around your home. It's very cold out at the moment, and he's unlikely to be active enough to go too far.

Keep us updated!

 

[Yvonne G]

Oops, sorry...I just read your post a little more carefully. You said the tortoise was loose in the house? Then he's more than likely just under a piece of furniture someplace. Sorry, but you're gonna' have to tear the house apart. This is a good chance to get that dreaded housework done!!

Hope you find him. Keep us posted.

 

[alexfresco]

We've literally searched the whole of the downstairs at home! Looked in every corner and his usual spots (even in the washing machine just in case!)
There aren't any holes in the garden so no signs of him burrowing down

 

[cherylim]

If you find him again, I'd really recommend not letting him walk loose around the house. Even without the risk of him running away there are many more risks involved. Do you have plants/long grass he could be hiding under?

 

[Madkins007]

I advise everyone to have a 'missing pet' plan for ALL their 'walking' pets (cats, dogs, torts, etc.)

The Basic Plan:

1. Make sure your neighbors know about your pet. They are the non-family members most likely to find it. If appropriate, let them know there is a standing reward for return (I recommend something like a home-made bread or dessert).

2. Have a 'Lost Pet' sign pre-made on your computer, and update the photo and info as needed. For a typical tortoise, it might read something like "LOST: (type of) Tortoise {photo}. REWARD! Lost from the area of (your address). About (length) long, (color). If found, please call (your number). May bite if annoyed, but otherwise harmless {in smaller letters}.

3. Collect the numbers, emails, fax numbers, etc. of places someone finding your pet may call- local shelter, nature center, zoo, pet stores, etc.

4. When the loss is noticed, print out enough flyers to cover the neighborhood and send a fax or email to the contacts above.

5. If the animal can move fairly quickly, photocopy the flyer and post them further away. Get physical copies of the flyers to everyone on step 3, and posted in grocery stores, etc.

6. Be ready for several prank or well-meaning but wrong calls, especially with more unusual animals.

With a tortoise, keep one BIG thing in mind- MOST missing tortoises are found within feet of their usual territory, just well-hidden.

Good luck!

 

[Toristurtles]

Never give up

 

[Tortoise Buddy]

I came home from work at 5pm today and my family had told me they had lost Charlie (the tortoise).
His a Herman and around 7 years old.
We've been looking for hours along with all of the neighbours.
He was inside but both the front and back door was open, we think he may have got out.
Has this happened to anyone else or does anyone have any ideas how to get him back?
I've scattered some food around both the front and back garden in hope he will get hungry!

I'm sûre u can your Hernam. Never give up and never lose faith.

 

[JoesMum]

1. Broadcast this on Shelled Warriors Forum which is UK based (the more the merrier)

2. Go knocking on the doors of ALL your neighbours

3. Contact all the local vets, the police, RSCPA, animal rescue shelters

4. Put something he can't resist to eat in the sunniest spots out front and in the back... the stuff you probably shouldn't feed, but he'd kill for. In Joe's case it would be Strawberries!

5. It's not that warm in the UK at the moment, so chances are he hasn't gone too far, BUT he may well have buried. You may well be looking for less that a square inch of shell above the soil. there is nothing to do except a finger tip search of the garden... especially sheltered spots. Even a tort Joe's size can be really hard to find when he digs in.

6. When you do find him... get him micro-chipped. It is the quickest way of reuniting you and a lost tortoise. It's a very simple procedure and the 'lifetime' registration fee is incredibly good value when the pet is a tortoise!

Good luck

 

[Tortoise Buddy]

Sorry about my spelling mistakes.

 

[alexfresco]

FOUND HERMAN AFTER 5 MONTHS!

After 5 months my tortoise finally found his way home and came back to us!
He ended up hibernating through the winter and woke himself up due to the recent good weather.
It's been 4 days since his been awake and his not eating properly, not moving as much as he used to and his right eye is still pretty much closed.
He is 7 years old and I have never hibernated him.

Has anyone experienced this before? Should I take him to the vet?
Thank you

 

[Yvonne G]

So he made his way outside, huh? Well put him in a tub of warm water and just let him soak for a bit. It does wonders for them.

 

[alexfresco]

Thanks for replying! We've bathed him twice

 

[JoesMum]

There have been a few 'lost' tortoises turn up this spring... this is at least the 4th I know of. Congratulations You must be extremely relieved!

Beyond a bath to clean him up and regular soaks to get his digestion going again, I doubt he needs any more.

It may take a few days to get him eating again... Joe typically takes 10 -14 days to eat properly after hibernation.

It's not that warm at night at the moment, so let him go out by day when it's sunny and then pull him in when he goes to ground in the evening... otherwise we'll have a cold snap and you'll "lose" him again!

---

I have just seen the weather forecast... it's all change in the UK. Record temperatures for March in Scotland last week and most of the country basking in temperatures in the 70s.

Except tomorrow...

... snow is forecast to return to Scotland and it's going to spread South, getting to Essex (where Alexfresco lives) and Kent (just acroos the Thames where I live in the extreme South East) on Wednesday.

This is going to wreck so many gardens. All the blossom is out. Where we live is surrounded by orchards.

Joe and Charlie have had it in the garden for a while I think. It's indoors for the next few days!