Man admits dumping 10 dead tortoises in forest

Gary Priddle admitted he dumped the dead tortoises in a forest near Exeter

A man has admitted dumping 10 dead giant tortoises in a Devon forest after a heat lamp keeping them warm failed.

Gary Priddle, 56, of Grecian Way, Exeter, disposed of the dead Aldabra tortoises in Ashclyst Forest, north of Exeter, in late December 2023 and January 2024.

Priddle also admitted failing to meet the needs of the animals between 23 and 29 December as he did not check their daily welfare or a heating system, which failed, leading to their deaths.

Exeter Magistrates’ Court heard Priddle had been identified after a member of the public came forward to say they had seen the tortoises in Priddle’s home while viewing it for sale.

'Ignored his responsibility'

The defendant pleaded guilty to one charge under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and one under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 when he appeared before Exeter Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

Sentencing him to 50 hours of unpaid work, District Judge Stuart Smith said: "For six days you prioritised your festive celebrations over their care… as a result these magnificent creatures all died."

The judge said Priddle had "ignored his responsibility" to the animals and had not checked on them during that period, leading to their deaths due to the cold conditions at that time of year.

Samantha Rogers, prosecuting, said two dead tortoises had been found in woodland by Killerton Estate staff on 8 January, prompting them to contact police.

The court heard Priddle had panicked and put the carcasses in his car before disposing of them in woodland

The court heard further tortoise carcasses had been found in various locations on 11, 12 and 13 January and on 11 March.

Ms Rogers said Devon and Cornwall Police had issued an appeal for information which led to Priddle being identified.

She said officers and the RSPCA had gone to the address where Priddle admitted he owned them.

Ms Rogers said he told officers he had not checked on the tortoises for six days and "when he had visited them the heating light had stopped working and all of the tortoises had died".

'Pride and joy'

The court heard Priddle said he had panicked and put the carcasses in his car before disposing of them in woodland.

A post-mortem examination carried out on four of the animals had found evidence of bone disease due to poor husbandry, the court heard.

Ms Rogers added: "He said they were his pride and joy."

Peter Seigne, mitigating for Priddle, said: "My client has cared for tortoises almost all of his life.

"It’s been very much a part of his life."

Mr Seigne said the defendant also had 13 adult tortoises of a different species and 40 young tortoises, all of which he had voluntarily surrendered on the advice of the authorities after his arrest.

He said this was an "isolated incident".

Priddle was disqualified from owning or keeping tortoises for 10 years and ordered to pay costs and a surcharge of £199.

Pet research 'vital'

Insp Mark Arthurs, from Devon and Cornwall Police, said the case "serves as a reminder" to pet owners that "they always have a responsibility for the wellbeing of their animals".

"Those that are struggling with achieving this should reach out to the wealth of charities who can support them in this," he said.

"We recognise that Priddle surrendered his remaining tortoises, but in this case we sought a disqualification order to ensure that he could not possess any more."

Evie Button, the RSPCA's senior scientific officer, said caring for animals "takes time, money and knowledge".

“Unfortunately many people are unaware of how much of a commitment exotic pets are when they take them on," she said.

"That's why it’s vital prospective owners always do their research before taking on any animal."