'Extremely rare' turtles stolen from Dudley Zoo in 'targeted' theft
Two "extremely rare" turtles at Dudley Zoo have been stolen in what's thought to be a targeted attack.
Keepers discovered that the Coahuilan Box Turtles were missing from their exhibit at the Reptile House at the attraction on Saturday morning.
The pair are said to be easily identifiable, with one measuring around 15cm long while the other is around 17cm.
A spokesperson for Dudley Zoo and Castle, said: "We believe this to be a targeted theft as we’re the only zoo collection in the country to hold the endangered aquatic species, so we understand how rare they are.
"We are incredibly concerned about their welfare. They’re a small exotic reptile species, native to Mexico, which spends most of the time in the water. They require specialist care and it is essential we get them back.
"The exhibit is accessed from the front public corridor and staff found the lock had been damaged. We’ve launched a full review of security in the Reptile House and have already started installing additional bolts alongside the window locks and will manually staff the area until this work has been completed."
The National Wildlife Crimes Unit, alongside West Midlands Police are investigating the theft and anyone with information is urged to contact the zoo on 01384 215313 or police on 101, quoting log number 1470-01072023.
