Leopard Tortoise Shelley Walks 2.8 Miles, Outsmarts Fence, Claims Ice Cream

Leopard tortoise Shelley, age 20, staged a 16-day escape from Shillingford Abbot, England, crawling 2.8 miles before surfacing outside the Orange Elephant ice cream parlor—prompting searches like “How far can a tortoise walk in a day?” and “Do tortoises really eat ice cream?” Owner Nick Phillips quipped, “She wasn’t interested in runner beans, cabbage, cucumber, the full Monty. I’ve no idea what she’s been eating, but clearly it wasn’t salad.”
After being mistaken for a rock near Kenneford, Shelley’s slow-motion odyssey ended with her return and a “cheeky ice cream,” sparking queries such as “Can a tortoise survive outside for weeks?” and “What to feed a lost tortoise?” Her reinforced fence now dares any escape artist with existential resolve: “If she wants out again, she’s going to have to give it some really serious thought,” Phillips said.
Shelley’s 2.8-mile adventure required 16 days, two villages, and a suspiciously dessert-centric diet—proving even tortoises sometimes take the scenic route to ice cream.