Two endangered Coahuilan Box Turtles have been stolen from the Reptile House at Dudley Zoo.

Keepers discovered the two males missing from their exhibit on Saturday morning. A spokesperson said:

“We believe this to be a targeted theft as we’re the only zoo collection in the country to hold the aquatic species, so we understand how rare they are.

“We are incredibly concerned about their welfare. They’re a small exotic reptile species, native to Mexico, which spend most of the time in the water. They require specialist care and it is essential we get them back.

“The exhibit is accessed from the front public corridor where staff found the lock had been damaged. We’ve launched a full review of security in the Reptile House and have already started installing additional bolts alongside the window locks and will manually staff the area until this work has been completed.”

The turtles are easily identifiable, with one measuring around 15cm long, while the other is slightly bigger at around 17cm in length.

The National Wildlife Crimes Unit, alongside West Midlands Police are investigating the theft and anyone with information is urged to contact the zoo on 01384 215313 or police on 101, quoting log number 1470-01072023.