Police are searching for a woman caught on CCTV after a turtle called Clyde was stolen from an aquarium in north-west England.
A young boy with no top on was spotted in Clyde’s tank at Blue Planet Aquarium in Ellesmere Port on Tuesday afternoon, Cheshire police said.
He was then seen walking away carrying something under a jumper, which detectives believe was Clyde, a 20cm mud turtle. The reptile’s keepers warn that without special care he may die.
Police have released CCTV images of a woman they believe was with the boy. She was spotted at 4.15pm and police were called an hour and a quarter later.
DS Rob Grantham said: “Our investigation has so far established that a young boy managed to get into the tank and remove the turtle. The boy was completely soaked and had no top on, which may have attracted your attention if you had been there yesterday.
“The boy appeared to be carrying something under a jumper, which we believe was the turtle known as Clyde. If you recognise the woman in the CCTV or have any information that may lead to the safe return of Clyde, I’d urge you to call 101.
“We’re keeping an open mind as to why Clyde was taken but we need to stress that without specialist care, Clyde may die.”
Clyde’s captors may come to regret their reptile heist: mud turtles can release a foul-smelling liquid from their anal scent glands as a defence mechanism against predators.
