The RSPCA has responded to safety fears over an escaped turtle in Oxford.

Locals spotted what they believed to be a tortoise at Parsons Pleasure on the banks of the Cherwell River.

The animal has been sitting on a log for the past three weeks leading to fears that it is an escaped pet and that it could die from the cold.

“It is still there after three weeks and is getting visibly slimmer on a plank of wood at the edge of the Cherwell,” said one onlooker.

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The turtle on the log.The turtle on the log. (Image: Public submission)

“I guess it will die soon of hypothermia or cold unless rescued. Very sad.”

The RSPCA were contacted over the issue by the Oxford Mail but fears over the creature’s safety have been calmed after it was revealed to be a turtle.

A spokesperson for the RSPCA said: “Terrapins are very able to survive in the wild in the UK, even over winter (some have been living in rivers quite happily for years), so they don't need to worry about them getting cold as they will hibernate over the winter.

“Even if they've only seen it for the last three weeks, it's possible it has been in the wild for several years and it's just moved to this spot more recently.

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“We wouldn't come out to rescue the turtle, because it's best for the welfare of the turtle to be left in the wild and the government advice is that they should be left alone, not brought into captivity.”

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