Astonishing CCTV footage shows a woman stealing two baby tortoises from a pet shop, stuffing them into her coat pocket before heading out of the store. The woman, who walked with crutches and wore a face mask, could be seen opening a vivarium, and grabbing hold of the growing baby Hermann's tortoises, who will turn one in September. She then shoved them into her coat before leaving the store.
This incident occurred at around 12.10 pm on Thursday, August 4th. at Swell Aquatic and Reptile Centre in Hyde, Greater Manchester, where staff members are now concerned for the tortoises' welfare. Store manager Stephen Bradley now fears the animals may not survive after having been taken out of their carefully controlled environment, and the store has now shared footage via Facebook in an attempt to locate the reptiles.
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Bradley has speculated the woman was a 'reptile enthusiast' who just wanted the tortoises for herself without any intention of selling them on the 'black market'
He said: "There's no 'might' about it - they'll die, particularly without the right temperature, so we're very concerned for their welfare.
"They need a sustained temperature and UV lighting, and surely the person won't be putting calcium and multivitamin powders on their food, so they won't be doing particularly well for any long period of time without that."
Commerce director Matt Clarke has stated that captivity-bred reptiles may well live long lives if permitted to develop at this important early stage, emphasising the specialist care such young tortoises require because of the calcium and various other nutrients needed for their shells to form.
Clarke explained: "As well UV light, they need the right heat, temperature and lighting and diet to ensure that they grow healthily.
"Hermann's tortoises can live to nearly 100 years in captivity in exceptional cases, but certainly up to 50 years old, so the early years are particularly crucial for its ongoing health.
"The shop team makes great efforts to make sure that people who are buying animals from us are carefully vetted to ensure they go to the best homes possible and get the right care."
Although these creatures can sell for as much as £175 each, Clarke agrees with Bradley's speculation that the woman probably snatched them to keep as pets of her own.
Greater Manchester Police is now continuing their investigations into this matter, while Clarke is encouraging anybody looking to purchase a pet tortoise in the future to make sure they have been microchipped.
Clarke continued: "I've worked in the pet trade on and off for 30 years now, and thefts of animals are exceptionally rare - I'm guessing it's probably not something that crosses people's minds.
"Items are often stolen from pet shops as they are from other retailers but rarely are animals stolen. It's the first time I've heard of reptiles being stolen from a shop.
"If anyone's offered a tortoise they should be microchipped if they come from a pet store. So if they want to check the background of that tortoise they can take it to a vet and check the microchip, and obviously, we've got documentation to prove the origins of our tortoises."
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