Beverly Family Searching For 31-Year-Old Pet Turtle That 'Ran' Away From Home

BEVERLY (CBS) – A family in Beverly is plastering missing posters around their neighborhood and asking neighbors for help. They're hoping to find the beloved pet that wandered away from their home two weeks ago

"It's so heartbreaking. We miss him so much," Debbie Young said of losing Zeke, an Eastern box turtle she and her husband Robert have had for 31 years.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Karen Twomey reports

Zeke might not have been able to "run" away, but he somehow managed to sneak out of the Youngs' home two weeks ago, possibly with some help from the family's cat.

The Youngs say the cat managed to open a sliding screen door. That's when they think Zeke escaped.

"Zeke got out onto the porch and he's been gone ever since," Robert said.

Zeke has been with the Young family since 1981. Robert, who was stationed with the U.S. Marines Corps in North Carolina, found him by a stream.

"As I approached this little stream, I just noticed Zeke right there and he just looked so colorful at the time. And I said 'geez, I really want this guy,'" Robert remembers.

Because of Zeke's size, the Youngs are worried that he will be hard to spot.

"(Zeke is) like the size of a grapefruit. He's pretty small," Robert said.

"Apparently they can burrow down," Debbie added. "Literally you could be walking right by him."

Eastern box turtles are native to the area and can live for up to 100 years. The family is hoping that will play in their favor.

"Believe it or not, he has a great personality," Debbie laughed. "He does, I'm telling you. He's a cool little guy."