Tortoise stolen as a baby is found living in a suburban home seven years later

Two tortoises have made a miraculous return to a zoo years after they were stolen, being found living in a suburban home.

A pair of rare and endangered radiated tortoises were stolen from Perth Zoo in 2011.

Seven years later, one of the tortoises was found living at home in the city’s northern suburbs by a police officer reporting to a burglary.

The officer suspected the second missing reptile was also at the house.

A pair of rare and endangered radiated tortoises were stolen from Perth Zoo in 2011 (pictured one of the tortoises)

Perth Zoo senior vet Simone Vitali (left) and WA Minister for the Environment Stephen Dawson examine one of two Madagascan radiated tortoises

The second tortoise was later discovered when they found a 35-year-old woman who allegedly stole the reptile from the house.

A 29-year-old man has been charged with having possession of the tortoises after they were taken from the zoo.

Senior veterinarian Simone Vitali said the pair’s discovery was ‘extraordinary’.

‘They don’t turn on a dime, they’re very slow to get sick and they’re very slow to recover from stress,’ she told the ABC.

Both animals will spend 30 days in quarantine as zoo staff treat injuries to their shells.

A Western Australia Police spokeswoman said the first tortoise was spotted roaming around in the backyard.

The reptile was taken to a vet and scanned for a microchip, revealing it belonged to the Perth Zoo.

Seven years later, one of the tortoises was found living at home in the city’s northern suburbs by a police officer reporting to a burglary