Yes they do.
No one knows that better than Malti’s mommy (aka me).
One Tuesday, Malti went missing.
We had been out on the lawn together as usual. One moment she was there – the next minute she was GONE.
The next 6 days went by in a blur of pain + action. My mom and I broke up our hours of searching, swatting and sweating with hours of flyer posting and web board posting.
Occasionally we slept.
As each day passed, the tortoise-sized hole in my heart got bigger.
The following Sunday, 6 days after I had my “omg where is Malti?!?” very public sobbing nervous breakdown, I bent down to lift up the front branches of a short flowering bush….and there she was.
But there was still work to do. 60 damp and mangled flyers had to come down. A certain shelled someone had to go to the vet (along with her newly rescued brother, a box turtle we named Bruce who was turned in to me TWICE during that brief 6 day search period).
Oh, and I had to drink wine. Lots of it. And sleeeeeeep.
But most of all, I had to process the phrase a sweet neighbor had light-heartedly messaged to me on the day we found Malti.
#TURTLELIVESMATTER
Yes they do.
They matter.
They matter SO much.
They matter because turtles, terrapins and tortoises, just like dogs, cats and parrots (and on the latter I can speak from long personal experience) make this world a much better place to live in.
They matter because, in so many places around the world, they are disappearing from the very places where they used to flourish.
They matter because, as Malti shared during a session with the wonderful animal communicator who helped reunite us, Dana Miller:
I am a turtle. I am a very important being.
Yes you are, my love. And I, for one, will never ever forget it.
I don’t want to live in a world without turtles and tortoises….one in particular.
While I confess I’m not quite sure yet what that statement looks like on an action-level in my personal life (right now I’ve got my hands full with Malti and our newly rescued box turtle, Bruce, who is just starting to settle in here), I wanted to put it out there – share it with all of you – see what unfolds.
And in the meantime, here are some links to just a few of the oh-so-awesome turtle and tortoise rescue, education and rehoming organizations working so hard to make a difference for shelled beings around the world each and every day.
Amazing Turtle & Tortoise Organizations
- The Turtle Room: www.theturtleroom.com
- Garden State Tortoise: www.gardenstatetortoise.com
- Turtle Survival Alliance: www.turtlesurvival.org
- Turtle Conservation Fund: www.turtleconservationfund.org
- Turtle Conservancy: www.turtleconservancy.org
- Tortoise & Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group: www.iucn-tftsg.org
- Chelonian Research Foundation: www.chelonian.org
- Marine Turtle Conservation Fund: www.fws.gov
- Sea Turtle Conservancy: www.conserveturtles.org
- American Tortoise Rescue: www.tortoise.com
- Tortoise Group: www.tortoisegroup.org
- Galapagos Conservancy: www.galapagos.org
A FAVOR: And now I have a favor to ask.
If you know of other amazing rescues, nonprofits and individuals working at a local, regional, national or international level to help turtles and tortoises survive and thrive, please share them in the comments here! Thank you! 🙂
