Pet tortoise locked away for 30 years is still alive

Talk about a low maintenance pet.

This sounds like one of those weird stories out of China, but it happened in Brazil.

Manuela, the family’s pet tortoise, disappeared in 1982. They thought she had run (?!) away when construction workers at the home left the front door open.

Fast forward 30 years.

 

The father dies. Through the years he had accumulated a room full of old appliances and other junk which he kept locked in a room where no one else dared to enter.

After his death the children clear out the room and find Manuela alive inside a box containing an old record player.

Tortoises in the wild can live up to three years without eating and they are not especially particular about what they eat, including vegetation, dead animals, even feces. A veterinarian thinks Manuela may have survived by eating termites from the wooden floors. The story

 

I don’t know anything about the family, but the old man sounds pretty loony tunes eccentric. It could be that he kept Manuela hidden away as his personal pet because she was the only one who didn’t think he was a crackpot little odd.

Dogs are not the only pets who don't judge us.

Comments

[geogia little pea]

What a remarkable tortoise! It just spent 30 of its average 50 year life span in a box in a locked room eating termites. I sure hope the family give it some good love and yummy food for the rest of its life. I think they will. They seem very happy to see it again :)

[Kristine]

Who knows? I think I like your idea better, that he just wanted to keep her for himself. Much better than thinking of that poor turtle alone for so long. I mean, I am sure they are solitary creatures but going from a pet to surviving on termites can't be a lot of fun for 30 odd years.

What a nutty story.

[Linda]

Our son has a great tortoise...she loves to held and stroked on her head and shell. I can't imagine how lonely the little thing must have been.

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com

[jet]

We like your suggestion better as well :P poor little creature!

[yellowdoggranny]

damn..talk about low maintenance.

[Becky]

That is just way too wierd. Poor little thing.

[Jackie Bouchard]

Oh, poor little lonely baby. But man - that's a crazy story. That's about as low maintenance as a Pet Rock. (Remember those?)

[Jodi]

That's got to be the craziest thing I've heard. What about water? And did the turtle poop? That room must have stunk! Maybe the turtle ate and drank its own waste? Bizarre!

[Tegan]

That's pretty cool! (Though neglectful.) I also like your articulation of this story... Made me laugh. :)