A shameless pet store thief stuffed two baby turtles into his coat pocket.

Amazing CCTV footage shows a woman stealing twoturtles from a pet store and dropping them into coat pockets. It shows how to pack in and go out. outside the store. Walking with crutches and wearing a face mask, a woman could be seen opening the kennel and clutching a growing Hermann's giant tortoise, which will be one year old in September. shoved them into the court.

This incident occurred at approximately 12:10 pm on Thursday, August 4th. At the Swell Aquatic and Reptile Center in Hyde, Greater Manchester, staff are now concerned with turtle welfare. Later, worried that the animals might not survive, the store is now sharing footage on Facebook to find the reptiles.

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Bradley said the woman was a "reptile enthusiast" and wanted the turtle for herself, not to sell it on the "black market."

He said: "There is no 'chance' about it. They will die, especially if they don't have the right temperature.

"They need constant temperature and UV light, because I'm sure they wouldn't put calcium or multivitamin powders in their diet."

Commerce director Matt Clarke underscores his expertise, saying captive-bred reptiles can live longer if allowed to develop at this critical early stage. The care such young turtles require due to the calcium and various other nutrients needed to form the shell.

Clark explains: “Hermann's tortoises can live for nearly 100 years in captivity—certainly up to 50 years, although in exceptional cases—so the early years are particularly important for continued health.

"Our shop team goes to great lengths to ensure that people who buy animals from us are carefully vetted to ensure they go to the best possible home and receive the proper care."

These critters at £175 each It sells, but Clark agrees with Bradley's guess. Women probably snatched them up to keep as their own pets.

Greater Manchester Police are currently investigating the matter. Clark also advises anyone considering purchasing a pet turtle in the future to make sure it is microchipped.

Clarke continues: “I've been in the pet trade off and on for 30 years, and animal theft is extremely rare. Items are often stolen from pet shops, just like shops, but animals are rarely stolen - this is the first time I've heard of reptiles being stolen from shops.

"If someone gave you a turtle, if it comes from a pet store, it should be microchipped. Of course, we have documents proving the origin of our turtles.”

Did CCTV catch an anomalous event? Email us at julia.banim@reachplc.com