A turbo tortoise on two wheels

Yuri, a century-old tortoise, has been given a new lease of life with castors attached to her underside

A CENTURY-OLD tortoise has really come out of her shell now that her owner has fitted her with a set of wheels to help cope with an undiagnosed leg problem.

Yuri the tortoise was given a new lease of life when castors from the legs of a sofa were fixed to her underside after she lost the use of her back legs, a condition which has so far baffled veterinary surgeons.

The aging reptile belongs to 71-year-old Bill Jackson, of Goring, who acquired the wheels from his local shop Goring Hardware in Red Cross Road.

The former accountant, who lives in the village with his wife, Hilda, aged 70, said: “Yuri would go to sleep for weeks at a time and then wake up and sit in front of the fire. This time when she woke up she was lethargic and was dragging her back legs so we took her for x-rays but they couldn't fathom out what was wrong.

“My local hardware shop is quite marvellous at finding bits and pieces and found me two wheels. They have helped keep Yuri off the floor and she's very happy going round the garden on her wheels.

“We're now saving up for some alloy wheels and some go-faster stripes.”

The couple, who also have a parrot, horses, chickens and dogs, were given the tortoise forty years ago by the police and therefore don't know Yuri's true age but believe her to be at least 100.

“The police came round to us because we were known to look after injured animals,” Mr Jackson said.

“The story is an old lady phoned the police to tell them she had an old tortoise and she was too old to look after it so the police went round to pick it up.

“Various vets have looked at Yuri and they can age her almost like a tree from her shell. They say she's at least 100-year-old if not older.”

This is not the first time Mr Jackson has had to fit Yuri, who enjoys a diet of strawberries and bananas, with an aid. She is already fitted with a tracking device as she is known to go walkabout.

“We actually had to install a tracking device because she sometimes escapes from our garden and goes into the fields,” Mr Jackson said.

“I found the device on the internet, I think it's supposed to be used for car keys but it works perfectly.”