Tortoises are being attacked by hungry rats deprived of the food they normally find outside restaurants and cafés.
The International Tortoise Association warned: “Rats are becoming a huge problem this year. Please make sure your pet doesn’t become a victim.”
Celia Claypole, 60, a volunteer at a tortoise sanctuary in Sully, Glamorgan, has seen 12 cases this summer compared with two in previous years. “The rats are out and about in force and they are attacking tortoises,” she said. “They’ll just keep chewing and chewing and chewing.”
Riccardo Cardia, a vet based in Bridgend, said: “The rats are very persistent and their incisors are so strong. The tortoise will just sit there so they have all the time in the world. They will eat them