The tortoise that had lost hope

18th Dec, 2024

Written by, and photographs supplied by, Keri McMorran – Managing Director: Tenikwa Wildlife Rehabilitation & Awareness Centre

Professional photography by Hatti Thesen

The tortoise had been taken from the wild and kept as a pet, which is illegal to do here in South Africa. To make sure he stayed with them, they drilled a hole through his beautiful shell and attached a chain to him. The chain eventually wrapped itself around his front leg and, in his struggle to free himself, it broke his leg and partially severed it.

The authorities confiscated him and took him to Knysna Veterinary Clinic, where they assessed him. He needed time to recover from everything he’d been through, so they contacted Tenikwa Wildlife Rehabilitation and Awareness Centre in The Crags, Plettenberg Bay. We fetched him and brought him back to the centre to start what would be a very long rehabilitation.

We made sure he was in a safe area with lots of fresh grass, chopped veggies and fruit, and we soon learnt grated carrots and watermelon were his favourite. Unfortunately, we noticed that his leg, of which he no longer had any use, was being squashed whenever he lay down, which would have caused him discomfort at the very least. So, after some brainstorming, a small wheel was attached to the shell underneath, so when he lay down his leg was protected from being squashed. This worked really well and aided him with his walking.

His leg, however, was making turning around for him quite difficult and we weren’t really aware of how much pain, if any, the leg was causing him.

Therefore, following much discussion between us and Knysna Vet, we all agreed it would be in his best interest to have the leg amputated. We made sure he was strong and healthy before we went ahead. It was a bigger operation than expected, but it went really well and we were delighted to be able to bring him home the following day.

He was put in the beautiful garden in the luxury villa holiday accommodation and he made firm friends with Higgins the cat. They’re often seen sleeping together in the flower beds.

He healed really well and in no time was whizzing around at quite the speed.

Due to having the wheel, he’ll never be returned to the wild but will live out the rest of his life here at Tenikwa in peace without ever having to worry about humans hurting him again. He’s so brave and so sweet. We named him “Onesibindi”, which means “Brave One” in Xhosa.

In honour of our brave tortoise, we now make (at Tenikwa) little tortoises in many different designs and colours to sell in our curio shop. This also helps us keep Onesibindi supplied with all the delicious fruits and veggies that he wants and deserves.

Onesibindi taught us – and reminds us every day – that the work we do here at Tenikwa means something and does actually change lives. We can’t make a difference to every animal in the world that needs help, but we can make a difference to those that we meet. So, remember when you walk through our doors to do a tour or stay in our accommodation, you’re helping us make a change and save a life, and for that we’re grateful.

For more info, contact Keri McMorran on 082 486 1515, email manager@tenikwa.co.za, visit https://www.tenika.com, or follow them on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/TenikwaWildlife.

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