More than 400 tortoises at a sanctuary in Cornwall are just some of the animals that have been fooled into thinking spring has come early. The tortoises have come out of hibernation early because of mild weather over the past few months. And they’re not the only ones, with experts reporting that wildlife and plants are behaving as if it’s spring. But they’re worried that if it suddenly gets cold, some animals could die in the bad weather.

But the creatures at The Tortoise Garden in St Austell are being kept warm with heat lamps. Meanwhile, conservation charity the Woodland Trust said some species of frogs, butterflies and plants have become “startlingly” active.

Volunteers spotted peacock and red admiral butterflies fluttering around, there have been 100 sightings of frog spawn and four sightings of tadpoles.