Tortoise shows up in NH 4 years after disappearing

[July 12, 2010]  BRENTWOOD, N.H. (AP) -- A New Hampshire couple says a 25-pound pet tortoise has reappeared four years after escaping from its pen.

Mike and Christine Wellington say their African spur thigh tortoise named Lucy made off from their greenhouse business in Brentwood. But on Friday, the Wellingtons received a call from a neighbor half a mile up the road that Lucy had reappeared.

The Wellingtons say they're certain the tortoise is theirs because of the unusual protruding bumps on its back.

Mike Wellington says turtles of Lucy's species dig deep holes in the ground for protection in extreme weather. He says he supposes Lucy did just that to survive New Hampshire's winters the past four years.

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Information from: WMUR-TV, http://wmur.com/

[Associated Press]

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