30 Years Later Alive And Well A Missing Pet Tortoise Is Found In An Attic

Nathalye De Almeida grew up hearing stories from her mother about Manuela, a cherished pet turtle she had as a youngster 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 just eight years old.

Manuela’s family felt the tortoise had gotten away from home and would never be seen again, but they couldn’t have been more incorrect.

Let’s fast ahead. 30 years till 2013. Almeida’s grandpa had recently gone away, and her family had gathered to look through his belongings in her mother’s childhood house.

Almeida’s grandpa had left behind a crowded attic, and as the space was tidied and his belongings were hauled out for sorting, something strange was uncovered. There was a turtle they recognized in the box of an antique wooden speaker.

“We were taken aback!” The Dodo spoke with Almeida. “My mother came weeping because she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Manuela had been discovered!”

The tortoise had somehow survived three decades locked within the storage facility. Her family believes she survived by eating termite larvae in the overcrowded room.

Manuela’s parents were happy.

She was still alive and healthy after all these years.

Nearly 10 years after being found, and 40 years after going missing, Manuela has never been better. (Though, since later being identified as a boy tortoise, he now goes by Manuel.)

“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.”

After so many years within the attic, Almeida says she still receives a lot of inquiries about Manuel and his finding, many of which are difficult to answer considering his incredible ability to survive in such conditions. But one thing is certain: he never left Almeida’s mother’s heart.

“She pays him a monthly visit, delighted to see my daughter with him,” Almeida added. “She looks after him by feeding him, petting him, and kissing him. He’s a member of our household. He is a member of our group.”