Wandering Tortoise Back With Md. Owner

FREDERICK, Md. (AP) -- A wandering African tortoise is back with its owner in Maryland after a nine-day, two-state odyssey.

The Frederick News-Post reports that Chester the tortoise disappeared from his owner's property last week and ended up in Pennsylvania.

Bill Athey says July 4 was the last time he saw his 12-year-old tortoise. An electric worker, Steven Warfield, contacted the News-Post on July 6 to say a co-worker had found a "giant turtle" in the woods when the two were part of a crew working to restore electricity.

Warfield sold the tortoise for $350 to a wildlife enthusiast, Michael Hillman of Emmitsburg, who took the tortoise to a friend's farm in Pennsylvania. Hillman later learned through a nature preserve that Athey was looking for his pet, and Athey picked Chester up Friday.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)