Awks - we had a college tortoise as well.
You couldn't rent that but every year the undergraduates elected a tortoise keeper and they looked after it and in summer we had a tortoise fair and invited everyone in Oxford who had a tortoise to bring theirs. Many gentlemen tortoises met lady tortoises and many got lost in the shrubbery.
We also elected a Gardening Rep whose job it was to liaise with the college gardener.
I also notice one of the former students from my time is hoping to form the next Government. 