A GIANT tortoise sculpture will soon be returned to its plinth following repairs, after two weeks away from its home at Sorel Point.
Puffling, one of 50 sculptures dotted around the Island as part of Durrell’s Tortoise Trail, was taken in on Monday 17 July for work on ‘two large cracks’, its designer Katherine Cadin wrote on Facebook. Durrell has reminded people not to sit or climb on the fibreglass creations.
Ms Cadin said she was now repainting the tortoise, which features eight puffins signifying the eight birds – four breeding pairs – left in Jersey. The species is critically endangered because its food resources are dwindling and its nests are vulnerable to increasing populations of predatory mammals.
A spokesperson for Durrell said: ‘The response from the public for Tortoise Takeover has been amazing. We’ve had dogs, cats, horses and even tortoises visit the sculptures across the Island as well as over 9,000 people download the app.
‘The repair work [to Puffling] is complete and it’s currently receiving some final touch-ups. We are hoping it will rejoin its friends on the trail next week.
‘We ask that everyone treats the sculptures like real-life tortoises, by not sitting or climbing on them.
‘If you do spot any tortoises that need some TLC, get in touch with our tortoise team by texting the number on the plaque.’
