NALANI -TORTOISE

Sunday morning at SanWild was yet another hectic one and when we completed our tasks and the feeding of the animals at the rehab centre Andre and myself set off to Gravelotte to purchase some newspapers and a well deserved ice cream. As we drove to the main gate we saw a vehicle parked at the entrance. A very distraught man got of out of his car and asked if we were the people dealing with sick and injured animals. His eyes were covered with tears and it was clear that he was highly upset. He told us that he had been keeping some tortoises at his house and that morning his wife had set off to go to church and that the motor gate had squashed one of the tortoises.
 

I accompanied him to his car and when he removed a small box and took out the injured tortoise I was quite shocked - the entire front section of the shell had been squashed and it was hardly recognizable as a tortoise. The shell was crushed and pushed in to the extent where the tortoise face was not visible. I agreed to take it to the clinic and have a closer look. Painstakingly we worked on the tortoise for almost 30 minutes to lift and push the broken shell into its proper shape and form. In certain parts some of the shell was missing, but we managed to stabilize the tortoise and clean out the wounds.

Named Nalani, this female tortoise is still in danger, but at the moment we are trying our best to control any possible infection and to make sure that no maggots can get into the wounds. She will be kept in the clinic and we will continue to treat her hoping that she can recover. The chances of infection being prevented is good as the wounds was fresh and if we can get her to resume eating and drinking she can recover.

Once the wounds has healed properly we have ways to repair the outside shell, but for the time being it is a matter of wait and see. We will keep you posted on her progress. We have recommended to her owner that all the tortoises at his house be handed over to us for release back to the wild. I am confident that he will make this decision soon.