Nathalye De Almeida grew up hearing stories from her mother about Manuela, a cherished pet turtle she had as a child in the early 1980s. The stories, on the other hand, were invariably tinged with sadness.
Manuela had gone missing one day in 1982 when Almeida’s mother was only eight years old. Manuela’s family believed the tortoise had gotten away from home and would never be seen again at the moment, but they couldn’t have been more wrong.
30 years later…Almeida’s grandfather had recently died, and her family had gathered to look through his belongings at her mother’s childhood home.
Someone spotted something strange while Almeida’s grandfather’s attic was being emptied and his belongings hauled out for sorting. It was a tortoise hiding in the box of an old wooden speaker.
And they recognized it! “We were shocked!” Almeida says. “My mom arrived crying because she didn’t believe it. They found Manuela!”
Despite being locked within the storage area for three decades, the tortoise had somehow survived. Her family believes she survived by eating termite larvae in the cramped room.
Manuela’s parents were ecstatic. She was alive and well — and she is still alive and well.
This tortoise is truly amazing. Keep in mind that we were complaining about the fact that we were forced to stay home during lockdowns and it was only for a couple of months. Imagine being trapped for 30 years…
This is Manuela. She went missing 40 years ago.
And she was found 10 years ago in the owners’ attic.
Manuela has never been better, nearly ten years after her discovery and 40 years after her disappearance. (He now goes by the name Manuel after being identified as a boy tortoise).
Since then, Almeida has been looking after him.“Manuel is doing great. He’s grown a lot,” Almeida said. “I brought him in to live with me because I have a lot of affection for him.”
She is still alive and well. Only now it is called Manuel (because the family found out it is a male)
After so many years within the attic, Almeida says she still gets a lot of questions about Manuel and his findings, many of which are difficult to answer considering his incredible ability to survive in those conditions. But one thing is certain: he never left Almeida’s mother’s heart.
“She visits him weekly, happy to see my daughter with him,” Almeida said. “She feeds him, pets him, and kisses him. He’s part of our family. He is one of us.”
The family believes the tortoise was able to survive by eating termite larvae in the overfilled room
Many people keep tortoises as pets because they are quiet, cute (particularly as hatchlings), and don’t lose fur. Tortoises, on the other hand, can live for a very long time (anywhere from 50 to 100 years).
If you adopt one as a pet, be prepared to care for it for the rest of your life, and keep in mind that it may outlive you.