A conservation story from Tenikwa Wildlife: The Tortoise that had lost hope
Keri McMorran of Tenikwa Wildlife and Rehabilitation Centre provides a heartwarming story of Onesibindi (which means “Brave One” in isiXhosa) the tortoise and his journey from captivity to freedom. The following may be slightly upsetting to sensitive readers.
Onesibindi was 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, his captors drilled a hole through his shell and attached a chain. The chain eventually wrapped itself around his front leg and, in his struggle to free himself, he broke the leg and also partially severed it. Thankfully, the authorities confiscated him and took him to Knysna Vet for assessment. As can be expected, Onesibindi needed time to recover from everything he had been through so Tenikwa – based in the Crags, Plettenberg Bay – was contacted The Tenikwa Team fetched him and brought him back to the centre to start what would be a very long rehabilitation.
Firstly, they made sure he was in a safe area with lots of fresh grass, chopped veggies and fruit quickly learning that grated carrots and watermelon were his favourite! Unfortunately, they also noticed that his leg – which he no longer had any use of – was being squashed whenever he lay down which would have caused him discomfort at the very least. 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 quite difficult for him and it was difficult to assess how much pain that leg may have been causing him. After a lot of discussion with Knysna Vet, the decision was made that it would be in Onesibindi’s best interest to have that leg amputated. They made sure he was strong and healthy before proceeding with what turned out to be a bigger operation than expected but it went really well and the Tenikwa Team were delighted to be able to bring him home the following day.
Thankfully, he healed really well and in no time was whizzing around at quite the speed. He was made at home in the beautiful garden in Tenikwa’s luxury villa holiday accommodation, where he made firm friends with Higgins the cat. They can often be seen snoozing together in the flower beds.
Due to having the wheel, he will never be returned to the wild, but he will live out the rest of his life at Tenikwa in peace without ever having to worry about humans hurting him again. He is so brave and so sweet which is how he received his name: “Onesibindi”, which means “Brave One” in isiXhosa.
In honour of this brave tortoise, Tenikwa now makes little tortoises in many different designs and colours to sell in their Curio Shop. This also helps us keep Onesibindi supplied with all the delicious fruits and veggies that he loves and deserves. “He 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 are helping us make a change and save a life, and for that we are grateful.” – Keri McMorran, Tenikwa Wildlife and Rehabilitation Centre.
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