A resilient turtle which was abandoned by its owner has surprised wildlife experts by surviving in the wild for five years.
Terry the terrapin was first spotted in St Neots, Cambs., in 2006 after the unwanted pet was cruelly dumped by his owner.
Turtles released into the wild in Britain usually die within weeks because of predators, severe cold and a lack of food to eat.
But Terry has stunned animal experts by learning to hunt in the British countryside and surviving five winters by hibernating.
Wayne Rampling, from Turtle Rescue in Harwich, Essex, has revealed that he is amazed Terry has survived our harsh frost and cold.
He said: ”They are not indigenous and should not be living on a river bank in the UK.
”You wouldn’t throw a dog out on a winters’ day and these terrapins don’t deserve to be in a cold river.
”Most don’t make it through the first winter because they don’t know how to hunt. If they do, their chances of survival are quite good.”
Photographer Warren Gunn, of St Neots, Cambs., who has captured Terry on camera for several years, spotted him for the first time this year on April 20.
He said: ”It is the first time I have seen him this year. He seems to quite like the hot weather.
”He will get up on a log in the sun, but this is the first time I have seen him on the bank like that.
”It is always nice to see Terry back and he seems to be getting bigger.”