Finn the tiny tortoise wins fans after hatching at UK safari park

A tiny tortoise not much bigger than a 50p piece has hatched at West Midland Safari Park – and proved an instant hit on social media.

The park near Bewdley, Worcestershire, said keepers are in awe of the three-week-old baby pancake tortoise, which has been named Finn.

Steve Slater, deputy head of the park’s Discovery Trail, said Finn, who is being fed on vegetation ranging from courgettes to dandelions, was the first baby of the species hatched at the site.

Mr Slater said: “The biggest threat to pancake tortoises is habitat destruction and being taken for the pet trade. Due to its vulnerable status, they are now the subject of a breeding programme in European zoos, which ours are a part of.”

A video of the tortoise posted on the park’s Facebook page – showing the reptile munching on a leaf – has racked up 192,000 views in less than a week.

In the wild, pancake tortoises inhabit the mountains of Kenya and Tanzania, with a preference for dry areas with rocky outcrops.