Note: we are republishing this story which originally made the news in February 2024.
In a twist more fitting for the Everglades than a tranquil village in the Lake District, residents were left reeling after spotting a fearsome, prehistoric-looking creature lurking beneath the surface of a local tarn.
Nicknamed “Fluffy” — a name laced with irony rather than endearment — the unexpected visitor turned out to be an alligator snapping turtle, a formidable reptile infamous for its bone-crushing bite and aggressive nature. The creature was discovered on Monday in Urswick Tarn, a peaceful lake near Ulverston in Cumbria.
The startling discovery was made by a local dog walker who noticed a strange, prehistoric-looking creature basking in the sun near the edge of Urswick Tarn. Unsure of what he was seeing, he snapped a photo and shared it on Facebook — and that’s when things took a surprising turn.
Among those who saw the image was Denise Chamberlain, an Urswick parish councillor and self-proclaimed reptile enthusiast who once lived in Florida. As someone who keeps tortoises and has encountered snapping turtles in the wild, Chamberlain instantly knew what she was looking at.
“As soon as I saw the photo, I thought, ‘I know exactly what that is,’” she said. “I’ve seen these guys in the U.S., and they can get massive — over 14 stone. Even the smaller ones have a bite you don’t want to mess with.”
Although the turtle appeared to be a juvenile, Chamberlain knew better than to take it lightly. “Even young ones are no joke,” she warned. “They’ll open their mouths in warning — and trust me, they don’t mess around.”
While legal to own in the UK, alligator snapping turtles are far from suitable pets. They can live up to 70 years, grow to 80 centimeters long, and require specialized, high-maintenance habitats. Experts believe this particular turtle was likely abandoned by an overwhelmed owner no longer willing to handle the long-term commitment.
Worried about the threat it posed to local wildlife, Chamberlain didn’t hesitate to step in. “These turtles are non-native, invasive predators,” she said. “In an ecosystem as delicate as this tarn, something like that can cause real damage.”
With no official help on hand, Chamberlain decided to take matters into her own hands — quite literally. Donning gloves and armed with nothing more than a plastic basket, she waded into the chilly tarn waters to stage a DIY rescue.
The turtle, she recalled, was lurking just below the surface, camouflaged in the shadows. “It looked like a mini dinosaur — only its nose was poking out, soaking up the sun while the rest of it stayed hidden,” she said.
Fortunately, the cold temperatures worked in her favor. “The turtle was sluggish from the chill, which made the rescue a lot easier,” Chamberlain explained. With surprising ease, she managed to coax it into the basket and brought it home temporarily before delivering it to Wild Side Vets in Barrow-in-Furness.
There, Dr. Kate Hornby — who runs the clinic — was stunned. “At first, I thought it was just a terrapin,” she admitted. “We rarely see reptiles here, let alone an alligator snapping turtle.” Though its powerful jaws could deliver a nasty bite, Dr. Hornby noted that this juvenile wasn’t an immediate threat at its current size.
Fluffy’s journey isn’t over just yet. The turtle is now set to be transferred to a specialist reptile center, where it will receive the expert care and proper environment it needs to thrive. Dr. Hornby believes the animal was likely abandoned when its former owner realized just how demanding — and long-lived — the species can be.
Believed to be around five or six years old, Fluffy has yet to be sexed due to its young age and size. Still, the name has stuck — much to everyone’s amusement.
“It’s a cheeky nod to Hagrid’s three-headed dog in Harry Potter,” Chamberlain laughed. “And honestly, Fluffy looks like something Hagrid would’ve absolutely loved — a real beast with a soft spot, if you know how to handle it.”