A BISHOP'S Hull family feared the worst when they couldn't find their beloved tortoise.
Shelly the Herman tortoise had been missing for a week before its owners found her - buried in their garden.
The pet was in rude health, but needed a good wash as it was covered in mud.
Denise Paskin, of Jarmyns, said: "We couldn't find Shelly anywhere and feared she'd wandered off and we might never see her again.
"Then a friend told me that tortoises often bury themselves underground.
"So I dug up the whole garden, digging up the mud, and found her under a bush.
"She's absolutely fine, although we needed to give her a good clean up because she was so dirty.
"She keeps going back to the same spot, so if she disappears again, we'll know where to look next time."
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