'Mating' tortoise returns home a year after vanishing

A woman is celebrating the return of her beloved pet tortoise nearly a year after she went missing.

Sarah-Jane Muirie, 50, who lives near Bredon, Worcestershire, believes her pet, called Ginger, may have escaped to go in search of a new mate.

Despite putting up signs around the area, she had almost given up hope after nearly a year without a single sighting. But almost 11 months later, Ginger was spotted by a horse rider behind the Mount Inn, in Stanton, Gloucestershire.

Ms Muirie said: "[It's] a good mile from home, so she must have been hibernating in the area, and luckily someone remembered the poster and got in touch."

The horse rider originally thought Ginger was a rock until he went past again and noticed a little head sticking out.

Ms Muirie said having owned Ginger for 40 years ago, the family knew how important it was to keep tortoises safe through hibernation and she could not believe Ginger would survive the winter alone.

"My brother made the missing posters and he got a call earlier this month to say they had found her. But he's in London so he called me and I said 'it can't be Ginger'."

"Then I went to pick her up and I genuinely couldn't believe that she survived a year of the wild."

She said since coming home, Ginger has been enjoying the sunshine and found herself a little area where she can sunbathe and eat her food.

Ms Muirie said her pet has been a big part of her family for the past four decades.

"To have a pet for 40 years, she could outlive me so it means a lot. We're very happy to have her back and it feels like a childhood memory has returned," she added.

Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.