A runaway tortoise named Scuttle has finally returned home after being missing for eight long months.
Scuttle disappeared from her enclosure in Cusgarne, near Truro in Cornwall, in August 2025. Her owners were devastated when they realized she had escaped, and as the months passed, they began to fear she might be gone forever.
Because tortoises often hibernate during colder months, Scuttle’s family believed she may have found somewhere to settle down for the winter while she was missing. Still, they had no way of knowing where she was or whether she was safe.
Then, earlier this month, the family received the news they had been hoping for. Scuttle had been found at the bottom of a neighboring field — alive, healthy and seemingly unaffected by her long adventure.
Her owner, 58-year-old Fiona Sherriff, was thrilled and deeply grateful to the neighbors who discovered her. Scuttle has been part of Sherriff’s family since she was a girl, so losing her had been especially upsetting.
Sherriff said she felt embarrassed and heartbroken when Scuttle first escaped. The tortoise had been with the family for so many years that her disappearance felt like losing a very old friend.
Despite being gone for months, Scuttle apparently had not traveled very far. She was eventually found nearby, in a neighboring field, as if she had simply chosen a new favorite spot and settled there for a while.
The Sherriff family believes Scuttle is a Hermann’s tortoise and around 70 years old, although they do not know her exact age. She was given her name when Sherriff and her family were children. Because the tortoise moved surprisingly fast, they decided to call her Scuttle.
After eight months away, Scuttle is now safely back in her enclosure. She has been reunited with her fellow tortoise, Pickford, and is once again enjoying life at home.
Her family is making sure she feels especially spoiled after her adventure, treating her to plenty of dandelions and lettuce.
Scuttle may have caused quite a scare, but her story ended happily. After months of worry, her family can finally relax knowing their adventurous old tortoise is safe where she belongs.