Tortoises are famous for living to a ripe old age, but have you ever heard about the story of a pet tortoise that went missing in 1982 and was found 30 years later?

No? Well, know you will.

Manuela, a red-footed tortoise, mysteriously disappeared from a home in a suburb of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1982.

Initially, the Almeida family, the owner of Manuela, assumed that the tortoise managed to get out of the house after the builders left their front door open.

Fast forward to 2013, Leandro Almeida was cleaning out a storage shed and threw away an old wooden box.

During an interview with Globo, a local news agency, Leandro said, “I put the box on the pavement for the rubbish men to collect, and a neighbor said, ‘You’re not throwing out the turtle as well are you?’ I looked and saw her. At that moment, I turned white, I just couldn’t believe what I was seeing.”

The box that he threw away had an old record player and their long-lost pet tortoise.

Talking about Manuela, Lenita, the sister of Leandro, said, “We’re all thrilled to have Manuela back.”

She added, “But no one can understand how she managed to survive for 30 years in there—it’s just unbelievable.”

How Did Manuela Manage To Survive?

Jeferson Peres, a veterinarian based in Rio, said red-footed tortoises are capable of not eating for 2 to 3 years.

But Manuela managed to survive for over 30 years, and the numbers are just mind-boggling.

Peres believes Manuela managed to survive by simply eating termites, insects, and licking condensation.

Anthony Pilny, a veterinary surgeon and specialist in birds and reptiles at the Center for Avian and Exotic Medicine in New York City, said turtles have reserved fat pats that they use when they can’t find food.

Talking about Manuela, Pilny said: “They should go very slowly—start by warming her up and rehydrating Manuela before feeding … Give her warm water soaks and offer a small meal after she seems stable. Then take her to a veterinarian who specializes in reptiles for a checkup and some bloodwork.”

Manuela is now walking around the house like she used to do 3 decades ago.

The family said she is entertaining the new young ones of the Almeida family.