Family finds missing pet tortoise alive in attic after 30 years

A Brazilian family who had lost their beloved pet tortoise in the 1980s were reunited with it almost 30 years later. The family is based out of Rio de Janeiro and had lost their pet Manuela when their house was being renovated.

Lenita De Almeida was 8 years old when she lost her pet and all hopes of finding her ever again. But Almeida was in for a huge surprise when she went to clean the old attic of their house after her husband's death and found Manuela alive and well.

The red-footed tortoise was discovered by the family in the box of an old wooden speaker. "We were shocked!" the woman's daughter Nathalye De Almeida told The Dodo in 2013. The whole family, especially Lenita, was more than thrilled to find Manuela.

However, the discovery did leave people with questions as to how the tortoise managed to survive hidden in an attic for 30 years. Some even raised concerns about the claims and believe that it may not have been the same tortoise.

Tortoises can go for long periods of time without food, but they still need water and sunlight. They are highly resilient creatures who can go without food for three years straight. The family thinks Manuela may have survived this long by consuming termite larvae.

Regardless of the doubts, the Almeidas are living happily with their pet who now goes by the name Manuel after it was found that Manuela is in fact a male. He is being looked after by the younger generation of the family.

"I brought him in to live with me because I have a lot of affection for him," said Nathalye De Almeida. Her mother also visits Manuel every week. "She feeds him, pets him, and kisses him. He is a part of our family," she added.

The world's oldest tortoise Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise, is currently living on the South Atlantic Island of St. Helena, according to a report in The Daily Star.