An adventurous tortoise is back home after spending the past nine months exploring Ucluelet.
Fish, the Canadian Princess Lodge鈥檚 15-year-old office pet, went missing on Sept. 2, 2017, after escaping from an enclosure he had been hanging out in on the Lodge鈥檚 lawn.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a beloved member of the family. We were really upset when he was gone,鈥� said the Lodge鈥檚 Megan Flood. 鈥淲e were offering rewards. We had missing posters all over town. At some point, we gave up hope. We thought he was eaten by eagles so we were expecting to find his shell somewhere.鈥�
That feeling of hopelessness was replaced with jubilation on Monday as, Flood said, three Windsor Plywood employees spotted the turtle trying to fend off a crow across the street from the Lodge.
鈥淭hey just so happened to be passing by and they saw the tortoise crossing the street, and a crow was trying to eat him. So, they saved the tortoise and brought him across the street,鈥� Flood said. 鈥淥ne of the guys came over here and asked if we were missing a turtle. So, I went outside and I started to freak out. I was like, 鈥楾here鈥檚 no way it can be Fish.鈥� I got a little teary eyed because we鈥檝e been missing the guy.鈥�
She said, despite the little animal being covered in cobwebs, she recognized Fish immediately thanks to his unique markings.
鈥淲e were hysterical when he came back. I was taking pictures and sending them all to the family members. The owners came over straight away and they were ecstatic,鈥� she said.
Fish is a vegetarian who feasts primarily on blueberries and lettuce. Flood said he looked like he鈥檇 eaten well during his time away.
鈥淸There鈥檚] lots of leafy greens around Ukee, so he鈥檚 pretty happy,鈥� she said.
This was not Fish鈥檚 first time on the lam, as the wily creature once wandered off for two years before being found.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a little escape artist, but we love him,鈥� she said. 鈥淪ome people have office dogs, we have a tortoise鈥e鈥檚 easy to take care of and he鈥檚 an all around nice guy.鈥�
