Brazil: Tortoise who went missing in 80s discovered after 30 years; leaves owners ecstatic

Whether it is your favourite pair of shoes or a cricket ball or even a pen, it is always a matter of delight to recover something close to your heart, which has been missing over years. However, what if you come across your beloved pet after ages? Yes, you heard it right; now, a family in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro has found their pet tortoise 30 years after it went missing in 1982. The news of their reunion is currently doing rounds on the 

The tortoise, named Manuela has been a part of the Almeida family for decades and it went missing in the 80s. It was discovered 30 years later in 2013 and almost a decade later, the tortoise is still alive and kicking. Manuela's owner, Nathalye De Almeida remembered hearing stories from her mother, Lenita Almeida, about the tortoise. Manuela was given to Lenita as a childhood pet. However, the tortoise went missing in 1982 when Lenita was just 8 years old, as per news outlet Dodo. At the time, the family assumed the tortoise had strolled away from home, never to be seen again, but they couldn’t have been more wrong.

Family discovers pet after it went missing for 30 years 

It all started after Lenita visited her childhood home with her family as her father Leonel passed away. The family visited there to sort through the possessions left behind by Leonel. And to their surprise, they spotted something truly unexpected. Nathalye's grandfather had left behind a very cluttered attic, and as the room was cleared and his things moved out for sorting, someone noticed something odd. There, in the box of an old wooden speaker, was a tortoise whom they recognized, reported Dodo.

As per news outlet Dodo, Nathalye told, “We were shocked!”. “My mom arrived crying because she didn't believe it. They found Manuela!”. The family believed that the tortoise had somehow managed to survive three decades trapped inside the storage space by eating termites from the wooden floors. Nearly 10 years after being found, and 40 years after going missing, Manuela has never been better. Moreover, the tortoise was later discovered as male, so it goes as 'Manuel' from 'Manuela'.

Nathayle De Almeida stated that she still gets a lot of questions about Manuel and his discovery after so many years inside the attic, many of which are hard to answer given his mind-blowing ability to survive in those circumstances. But one thing is clear — he never went missing from Almeida’s mom’s heart, reported Dodo.

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