Postman with 57 tortoises feeds them weeds collected after his round

Lawson Pipet shares him home with 57 tortoises

A Guernsey postman who owns 57 tortoises collects weeds from gardens he has visited on his round to feed the creatures.

Lawson Pipet asks for homeowner's permission to weed their gardens after delivering post in the Vale area of the island.

His pets vary in ages with some of them being bred at his home.

Mr Pipet said his job was "fantastic" as it allowed him to "see a lot of people and see a lot of weeds".

His love of tortoises began as a teenager when his father had three of the animals.

"Dad would hibernate the tortoises in the winter time and then during the spring time bring them out and that was a cycle every year," he said.

"I was lucky enough to get two of my own, a Hermann's and a Spur-thighed and those two breeds are something that I enjoyed."

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A collection of Tortoises is known as a 'creep' and Mr Pipet said technology had helped him breed his own.

"At one point I started to breed and they just grew from there really," he said.

"We tried breeding in my teenage years but the technology wasn't necessarily around then with UV lights and heat lights.

"Obviously now you can get those, and makes it more successful to rear younger tortoises."

Stump the Tortoise was born blind in one eye and had to be hand-fed

Mr Pipet has tortoises of various ages including several three-year-olds which he refers to as his "toddlers".

The smallest of all his pets was born blind in one eye.

"I had to handfeed him, but he's doing really well now and he's called Stump," Mr Pipet said.

He added that being a postman had helped in managing the diets of his 57 pets.

"My job is fantastic as I see a lot of people and see a lot of weeds," he said. "I ask the owner if I'm able to pick the weeds so after work I'll pick them.

"The owners are happy as they're getting their gardens weeded."

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