A tortoise that had been without a trace for three years has been found safe and sound, 30 kilometres away from its original location. In June 2021, the tortoise suddenly went missing. A four-month search involving locals and a social media campaign yielded no result. But last week the tortoise suddenly turned up, not in Koekelare(West Flanders), where it had gone missing, but in Houtem near Veurne(West Flanders) 30km down the road.
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Missing tortoise resurfaces after 3 years 30 kilometres up the road (VIDEO)
Colin Clapson
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Baymax is the name of Doreen Peursum’s tortoise. For 3 years there was no trace of the animal. An intense search yielded no result. ‘It used to live in our garden, securely fenced in and had a good time here: fresh greens and a strawberry as a treat every day, until it suddenly disappeared,’ says Doreen.
But last week the tortoise suddenly resurfaced, not in Koekelare, but in Houtem near Veurne: a good 30 kilometres away. ‘I was at work and got a call asking me if it was our tortoise that had been found. We received the chip number and compared it. It turned out to be the same number. You could blow me over with a feather’
Baymax gets new home too!
The tortoise turned out to have been found in Houtem, a village near Veurne. ‘Perhaps it walked the distance during those 3 years. There’s nothing wrong with it! It was not hit by a car, has no injuries and apparently got past every obstacle. Unbelievable, isn’t it?’
Baymax is now back home and is getting new living quarters. ‘I am very happy that the people, who found Baymax, made the effort to track us down,’ Doreen adds. ‘I would like to stress how important it is to have the animal chipped so that it is legally compliant and can be easily returned to its owner.’
