A tortoise whose front legs were gnawed off by rats as he hibernated in his owner's garden has had his missing limbs replaced with wheels from a model aeroplane.
Marginated tortoise Septimus was attacked by rodents as he hibernated underground in the garden of owner Darren Strand in Gosport, Hampshire of the UK.
When the 23-year-old pet emerged his legs were infested with maggots and vets told Strand that Septimus would either have to have his legs amputated and tiny wheels attached in their place, or be put to sleep.
"He went underground to hibernate and we didn't know whereabouts in the garden he had gone too," said property developer Strand, 49.
"When he came back up he was in a bad way -- his front legs had been gnawed at by rats. After taking advice we rushed him to the vets and he had to have his lower front legs amputated.
"It was the first time the vet had put front wheels on a tortoise as he had only done back wheels before."
Vets used a type of putty to attach the tiny wheels to the bottom of Septimus's yellow and brown shell.
Now, following his surgery Septimus, who is 23cm long, is back to his old self, snacking on dandelions, strawberries and cucumber and lives inside the family home with his mother Margo, 46.
Vet Ben Trimmer, who carried out the operation at the Downland Vet Group, Hampshire, said, "We used fibre glass to attach the wheels onto the shell and chose the wheels from a model airplane because they are right size and shape."