Tortoise found 2.8 miles from home after 16 days on the run
Shelly the leopard tortoise vanished from Shillingford Abbot, near Exeter on July 9.
The 40lb reptile was then discovered near The Orange Elephant ice cream parlour, close to the A379 near Kennford, some 2.8 miles away as the crow flies.
Nick Phillips, Shelly's owner, said: 'She was spotted by the farmer, who thought she was a big rock. Luckily, he realised rocks don't usually move and gave us a call.'
The family had looked for the tortoise in verges, undergrowth and local woods, and used thermal imaging to try and spot her.
Mr Phillips said Shelley's appetite had diminished after returning home, adding: 'We tried runner beans, cabbage, cucumber, the full monty. She wasn't interested. I've no idea what she's been eating, but clearly it wasn't salad.'
Mr Phillips's daughter Becky said: 'She's quite big and can travel nearly a mile a day. It seems people don't know what to do when they see a tortoise on the loose, because she was just left there.
'We think she escaped by clawing under the chicken wire of her pen.'
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