The turtle and the terror

A turtle has survived another day after arriving in a garbage truck and going through a full sorting process at a recycling center.

Paul Frost, 41, who works at the Mid-UK Recycling Center in Grantham, said he was “surprised it was still alive” after a colleague found it in the rubbish on a picking line.

The animal had arrived with a 22-tonne truck full of rubbish, was picked up by an excavator and then subjected to a sorting process including a glass-shattering machine.

Mr Frost took the turtle to Kirk Vets in Sleaford, where he was affectionately nicknamed Pee-wee by staff, after the 1980s film character Pee-Wee Herman.

Mr Frost said the turtle initially had “blood all over it” and described Pee-wee’s discovery as “pretty scary”.

“The stuff it went through before someone found it on the line, I’m surprised it’s still alive,” he said.

His wife, Louise Frost, 38, said her husband was already known at work as “Dr. Dolittle” became famous after he found and took home three kittens last year.

Sara Marchant, 55, practice manager at Kirks Vets in Sleaford, said the Pee-wee was a “very, very happy turtle”.

“I think he’s literally exhausted,” she said.

The recycling center accepts waste from across the UK and the turtle has a microchip that is not registered to one location.

“We’re not sure where he comes from. It could come from anywhere in the country,” Ms Marchant said.

“lucky guy”

Aside from some damage to his shell, Ms Marchant said Pee-wee “appears to be fit, well and healthy”.

“He must have 20 lives. He was tossed around, shaken, mauled and still made it through in one piece.”

“I think he’s a lucky boy,” she said.

Mr and Mrs Frost told the BBC they would wait to see if the owner came forward and if not, they would welcome Pee-wee the turtle into their own family.

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