tortoise – TwistedSifter

Photograph by @secorisou on Twitter

19 years ago, 62-year-old Mitani Hisao walked into a Tokyo pet shop and purchased a five-centimetre baby tortoise. Hisao calls him Bon-chan and the African spurred tortoise now weighs 70 kg (154 lbs) and has a shell that measures 75 cm (2 ft 5 in) in diameter.

Photograph by @hi_roshishi on Twitter

Two to three times a week Hisao and Bon-chan go for long walks (1.5 – 2 hours!) on the streets of Tokyo, much to the delight of all onlookers and pedestrians. The slow moving duo cause a stir wherever they go.

Photograph by @1995_peach_n on Twitter

Although he is married, Misao, a funeral director, does not have any children. He says he considers Bon-Chan his son, and tells The Mirror:

“Bon-chan is the only one in my family that listens to me, so I confide in him all the time. I just say his name and he walks over to me.”

Photograph by @hi_roshishi on Twitter

Photograph by @overdie2597 on Twitter

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This 90 Year Old Tortoise Lost Her Front Legs
So Her Owner Got Her a New Set of Wheels

Meet Mrs. T, a 90-year-old tortoise who lives with her owner in Pembroke, West Wales, UK. Tragically this past winter, a rat broke into Mrs. T’s hutch while she was hibernating and chewed off her two front legs.

When owner Jude Ryder discovered the horrifying scene during a routine check-up, she immediately rushed Mrs. T to her local vet.

The doctors told Jude they would have to amputate her legs to save her life. Jude feared that Mrs. T would not survive the trauma of losing her mobility. Desperate, she turned to her son Dale for help.

Dale, 37, a mechanical engineer, was actually the original owner of Mrs. T. Jude had bought the tortoise—who at the time was around 60—for her then 8-year-old soon nearly thirty years ago. Determined to help, Dale came up with an ingenious solution.

Using a set of wheels from a model aircraft, Dale affixed them to her shell using resin. Mrs. T not only got her mobility back but now she’s faster than ever!

Photograph by The Telegraph

Aside from having to get a new set of tires from time to time, Mrs. T could easily live another 50 years! You can read the complete story on The Telegraph.