14 DAY TRIAL // Fourteen years ago, a couple from Liverpool bought what they believed to be an ordinary tortoise from a local D.I.Y shop, but were shocked to discover that their pet was actually a rare giant breed that is known to live until they are 150.
Victor, named after Victor Meldrew from the TV show One Foot In The Grave, is actually a sulcata tortoise, the third largest species in the world. He now measures 2 feet (0.60 meters) from head to tail, weighs 9 stones (57 kg) and will grow for another 35 years.
Original owners have now decided to give him up because he has grown too big for their garden. Farmer Andy Browne, who runs Swindon Reptile Rescue, has rescued the huge reptile and has brought it to live at his wildlife sanctuary in Highworth, Wiltshire, which is currently home to 400 reptiles.
“They were pretty distraught to give him away as he was a much-loved pet – but he just bulldozes everything in his way,” Andy said, according to Metro. “He seems happy now, though, and even comes when you call him.”
Andy works with reptile charities, zoos and specialist shops to take care of all the tortoises, snakes and lizards he has been rescuing for 35 years. He rescues around 10 reptiles a week and has around 20 volunteers who help him out.
The sulcata tortoise is a species that is native to the Sahara Desert, in northern Africa, and the Sahel, a semi-arid region of transition in Africa between the desert to the north and the Sudanian Savanna to the south. Adults are usually 24 to 36 inches long (60–90 cm) and can weigh 100-200 lb (45 – 91 kg).