Giant tortoises to appear at Devon County Show

It's the first time they've been there

An entourage of reptiles will be appearing at the Devon County Show for the first time this year.

Every year, the show celebrates a variety of different breeds of animals, from cattle to sheep, alpacas to guinea pigs. Adrian Graham from Lincolnshire will be showing off his giant tortoises.

The animals will be on display for the duration of the show taking place between Thursday 18 May and Saturday 20 May 2023.

Adrian's passion for Tortoises started at the age of four where he said "At that age I really wanted a dog - but it turned out that I was allergic to all animals with hair.

"This left very little in the way alternatives, so my dad bought me a tortoise which I named Hermann, and that was the start of my fascination with these amazing creatures. 

"It was an unexpected turn of events that precipitated my decision to devote my life full time to giant tortoises.  Entirely unexpectedly, my dad collapsed and died of a brain haemorrhage.  It made me realise that life doesn’t always go to plan, and if you really want something you need to do it right away. 

"Within 12 months I had moved from Sleaford to a farm with lots of land and I got my first giant Tortoise, an Aldabra, a breed I had first seen at Chester Zoo when I was young and had fallen in love with.

"I now have 8 Aldabras in my collection.  What I never expected was how much I would get from them.  They are a truly special breed each with their own personality.  They’re also friendly, laid back and truly love human fuss & attention."

Adrian’s primary focus is tortoise conservation and he is hoping to be able to do his bit in preserving their future by eventually breeding from his collection. 

"Each tortoise is a random individual that has come to me at different times. None of them are related or come from a batch of eggs that I've hatched. And that diversity in bloodlines stands them in good stead for potential breeding which is my long term goal given that Aldabras have never, as far as I know, been bred successfully in Europe."

The Giant Tortoises will be on display at Devon County Show on Road 9, next to Farmwise. Earlybird tickets are now available to book at www.devoncountyshow.co.uk