Police made children who killed two tortoises on a farm near Prince Albert in the Karoo dig graves for the reptiles and pray for forgiveness, the Cape Argus reported on Monday.

It said the three boys and a girl, all under ten, were escorted to the scene of the crime and, with their parents present, told to dig the graves.

Farmer Pieter Koorts discovered the dead leopard tortoises, an estimated 50 years old, during a check of his orchards.

He said the police handling of the incident was "superb".

"There were tears and a lot of regrets," he said.

Sapa