Following a raw chicken feast, Chamberlain then took the turtle to Wild Side Vets in Barrow-in-Furness.
“It’s certainly the first one we’ve seen at the clinic – they are kept in the UK but they’re certainly not a common thing you would see at the vets,” said Dr Kate Hornby, the owner of the clinic and a veterinarian. “It would certainly give you a nasty nip and it could probably do significant damage to a finger or finger end, but at this size, it’s not particularly dangerous.”
Wild Side Vets urges people to be more considerate when getting a pet.
“We believe he had been abandoned at the tarn. If you are struggling to keep your reptile, please feel free to talk to us in confidence, no judgement and we will do our very best to help.” The post, which also includes photos of the turtle who’s believed to be about five or six years old, continues, “Please don’t abandon or keep any reptile in suboptimal conditions. We can help.”
