ATHOL — A tortoise was returned to its owner Sunday evening after escaping its home.
According to Athol police, an officer found the 40-pound spurred tortoise on Partridgeville Road and used lettuce to lure it closer. After a brief investigation, police learned that the 6-year-old reptile belonged to a town resident who lived more than a mile away.
The New England Aquarium, Massachusetts Environmental Police and Animal Control Officer Jennifer Arsenault helped police safely return the tortoise to its owner.