Lincolnshire Wildlife Park: Abandoned 'angry' snapping turtle rehomed

The snapping turtle has been rehomed at the Lincolnshire Wildlife Park

An "angry" snapping turtle temporarily stored in a bath after being found abandoned now has a permanent home.

The creature, dubbed Hagar the Horrible, was discovered near a Staffordshire waterway by a man who placed it in the tub and alerted the RSPCA.

They contacted Lincolnshire Wildlife Park, which agreed to rehome the reptile.

Park boss Steve Nichols said: "Believe me, the horrible bit is correct."

The turtle, which is more than 50cm (19.6in) long, is native to North America and preys on animals including fish, birds and amphibians.

It also eats large amounts of aquatic vegetation, according to the RSPCA.

Hagar was previously placed in a bath tub by the man who found it before RSPCA officers were alerted

It is believed the turtle, found in Burton-Upon-Trent last week, was a family pet that had either escaped or been abandoned.

'A good chunk'

"When you have children around in a family environment they are just not suitable pets," Mr Nichols said.

"They are very cute when they are young, [but] this chap could probably take a good chunk out of your finger without stopping."

The wildlife park in Friskney, which is also well known for its tigers and parrots, was recently designated as a national sanctuary to rehome abandoned turtles.

The park said the reptiles became popular pets in the 1990s due to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, which featured four fictional turtles with human characteristics.

However, Mr Nichols said in reality turtles were an invasive species and urged anyone who was having difficulty to "bring them to us".

Andy Ferguson, zoo manager at the sanctuary, said Hagar, named after a comic strip about a Viking and his life of plundering, was settling in well.

However, he added: "He is definitely one of our more angry turtles."

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