Apollo lands safely back home – tortoise returns 11 months after daring escape from Compton garden

After a daring mission that took him out of this world – well out of his garden anyway – Apollo the tortoise has landed safely back home.

The much-loved pet disappeared for nearly a year from his Compton home.

Apollo was bought for Finn Butler for his birthday in September 2022, but he took one giant leap last year when he managed to escape from his garden run.

Finn was out with mum Natalie, dad Matt and sister Phoebe, 11, celebrating Mrs Butler’s birthday last year when the tortoise made his daring departure.

“Somehow the little catch on the hutch door was loose and I think he'd worked out how to nudge it,” Mrs Butler explained.

“I’m not even joking; I know this is a tortoise. They’re actually quite full of character. He was quite naughty.

“He’d escaped a couple of times already, and we luckily found him in the flowerbeds.

“But this time, we came home from my birthday meal, we went straight to the garden to bring him back inside for the night and he’d gone.

“We frantically started looking for him but couldn’t find him anywhere.”

After leaving some food out overnight to see if he returned, the family said they saw a few bite marks in a piece of pepper but Apollo was still nowhere to be seen.

Mrs Butler added that as the days passed with no sign of the Hermann’s tortoise, they began to fear that a kite or other predator may have taken him.

But 11 months later, a woman walking down the road about half a mile from the family’s home, spotted a tortoise heading towards Compton.

After knocking on a few doors, Apollo was safely reunited with Finn.

Mrs Butler added: “She naturally came up this end of the road and started knocking on doors and she knocked on my door.

“My husband answered and was amazed it was him. We’ve checked back on pictures of his markings, he looks exactly the same, maybe a little bigger.

“The fact he’s in such good condition, we couldn’t believe it.”

Since being at home Apollo has been catching up on his sleep and eating well, she said.

Finn, who was very pleased to have his prized pet back with him, said: “We thought he had a cut on his leg but after we bathed him he was fine.

“We gave him some of his favourite food which is rocket.

“I’m really pleased he is back home.”

Now Apollo is safely home after his adventures around Compton, Finn is hoping to get a larger outdoor run with a stronger lock.