Ginger, a determined tortoise on a mission fueled by lost love, has finally been found nearly a year after her unexpected escape. The slow-moving reptile, traveling at an unhurried pace of approximately 0.00012 mph, had disappeared after digging beneath a garden fence in search of a new companion following the passing of her longtime partner, Fred.
The adventurous tortoise was spotted behind the Mount Inn pub in Stanton, Gloucestershire by a horse rider last week—just about a mile from her original home near Bredon, Worcestershire. Sarah-Jane Muirie, 51, Ginger’s devoted owner who has cared for her since she was a young girl, expressed her overwhelming joy at Ginger’s safe return.
After Ginger vanished in June last year, Sarah-Jane circulated missing posters throughout the area but gradually lost hope as months passed without any sightings. She explained, “We’ve had Ginger since I was 10 years old, and when she escaped, I feared we’d never see her again.”
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Sarah-Jane believes Ginger’s disappearance was driven by the loss of Fred, the fellow tortoise who passed away a few years prior. A veterinary friend suggested that Ginger might have been instinctively searching for a mate. “It’s that time of year when tortoises normally pair up. Ginger dug her way out under our garden fence, crossed neighboring yards, and ventured through fields,” Sarah-Jane said.
Despite Ginger’s excellent camouflage making her hard to spot, Sarah-Jane clung to hope. “We thought she was impossible to find, but we hung missing posters anyway. We believe she traveled as far as she could from June until October before hibernating for winter.”
Ginger likely remained hidden during the cold months, only coming out recently as the weather warmed. Interestingly, a local resident of Greek origin initially saw Ginger but didn’t realize she was out of place, since tortoises are native to Greece. It was the following day when a horse rider noticed her unusual presence.
Rescuers initially mistook Ginger for a rock—until they observed her moving—and soon matched her to the missing poster Sarah-Jane had distributed dozens of times. “At first I couldn’t believe it was Ginger. There aren’t many tortoise owners around here,” Sarah-Jane recalled. “It was incredible — we thought surviving a winter alone was unlikely.”
Now back home, Ginger is thriving, basking comfortably in the sunshine and enjoying familiar foods. “Having a pet for 40 years, she could outlive me. Her return feels like a beautiful piece of my childhood has come back,” Sarah-Jane shared contentedly.