Why did the turtle cross the road?

Boris the turtle rests after his return. Photo / Supplied

Lost for two months, it took just a few hours for a black-shelled turtle to reclaim its owners after a celebrity appearance on the front page of The Gisborne Herald last night.

Why the turtle crossed the road is still not clear... but Franklin the found became Boris the beloved again when his owners claimed him.

The turtle was rescued from the road very close to where he was last seen two months ago.

Advertisements placed to try to locate him back in February turned up no leads.

His owner thinks he must have been hibernating in a nearby park until he decided to emerge.

Boris was found by Tania Rauna, who drove past what she thought was a rock at first but turned out to be a slow-moving turtle trying to cross suburban Ida Road.

She took him home, looked after him and gave him the temporary name of Franklin.

Everyone is amazed at Boris' recovery. But just what adventures he has had will never be known.

The fresh-water red-eared slider is thought to be around eight or nine years old. They are by far the most common pet turtle in New Zealand.

They are originally from America and are the most readily-available and common in this country.

- The Gisborne Herald