Stinky turtle

“Elon the musk turtle” finally found a home

This tortoise is 60 years old - so the new home had to be chosen with particular care.

(Bild: RSPCA)

This turtle had to wait a long time: After 1579 days, however, a new home has finally been found for "Elon the musk turtle".

For all those who are now wondering: Yes, the animal is actually named after tech billionaire Elon Musk, as confirmed by the animal welfare organization RSPCA. The musk turtle is a friendly little fellow and easy to care for, although members of its species can often bite and stink. The latter also because they can emit a foul odor from scent glands on the edge of their shell to deter predators.

After around four years, a home has now been found, the organization revealed. A reptile sanctuary in Brighton in the south of England has been looking after the common musk turtle since the pandemic.

As the animals can live up to 60 years, this is a long-term commitment - so the right environment was needed.

Musk campaigned for imprisoned right-wing extremist
Most recently, it was not the tortoise that made headlines in the UK, but entrepreneur Elon Musk. The advisor to future US President Donald Trump repeatedly criticized the British government on his platform X and campaigned for an imprisoned right-wing extremist, among other things.