A tortoise that was missing for eight months has been found just 300 metres away in a nearby field

By WILL HALLOWELL, NEWS REPORTER Published: 22:58, 21 May 2026 | Updated: 23:01, 21 May 2026 A tortoise who was missing for eight months has been found just 300 metres away in a nearby field.   Fiona Sherriff, 58, was devastated when her beloved reptile Scuttle went missing from her enclosure in Cusgarne, Cornwall, in August last year. But earlier this month she was discovered by a neighbour in a nearby field - just 300 metres away. Scuttle was found completely unharmed and she is now back in her enclosure with her fellow tortoise, Pickford. Ms Sherriff, who runs the boutique B&B Cusgarne Manor, said: 'Honestly I am just so relieved she is back, I was so sad something had happened to her. 'There was no sign of escape from the enclosure - Scuttle is very energetic and we think she had even climbed a Cornish hedge!' Scuttle and Pickford have been in Ms Sherriff's family since her and her sister were children in the 1970s. Despite not knowing their exact age, Ms Sherriff believes they are at least 70 years old - possibly older. Fiona Sherriff, 58, was left devastated when her beloved reptile Scuttle went missing in August last year. Here they are pictured together  Scuttle (right) and Pickford enjoy slices of cucumber together  She said: 'They were fully grown tortoises when we had them during the 70s - so they are at least 70, maybe even 80. 'They belonged to my mum, Pauline, and when she passed away last year I inherited them. 'My mum loved the tortoises so much and so it was a big responsibility to have them - so I was scared to death of something happening to them.' When Scuttle went missing last year, Ms Sherriff searched far and wide trying to find her. She said: 'I had named her when I was a child because she scuttled along fast - but it really was very sad when she went missing.' The owner appealed for help on local Facebook groups - and was amazed when her neighbour found Scuttle in a little burrow in her neighbouring field. She said: 'She really was not that far really, probably only around 300 metres. 'I was astonished she hadn't gone miles - they can go quite far! Ms Sherriff believes Scuttle could be at least 70 years old after her mother bought the tortoises in the 1970s when she and her sister were children  'We live in the countryside and there are so many predators from badgers to foxes and rats, so she must have buried herself to keep safe. 'It was so wet over the winter too, she could have drowned if she was in the wrong place. 'They dig themselves into the ground, so she must have found herself a safe spot to hibernate - it's amazing.' Scuttle is now safely back in her enclosure with fellow tortoise Pickford - being spoiled with lettuce and dandelions. Ms Sherriff wants to build another enclosure for her tortoises so her guests can see them too. The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.