He came home!!!!

[TurtleTab]

I was walking in my yard like I do every morning looking for my lost turtles. I've been placing bananas around perimeter to separate my house smell from other yards(they love bananas). I always keep a special eye on a spot where I thought they escaped because when I was on my hands and knees I had noticed a spider web across the hole that appeared to have a break in it from a turtle shell shape. Well, this morning, my turtle of 21 years was sitting in the hole facing the entrance to my yard. He had returned!!! He saw me and stretched his neck out as if to say " is that you? Is it really you?!" And I did the same! " is that you Allen?! Is it really you?!" I quickly picked him up and he stared at me and I kissed his shell and baby talked him and he just listened without squirming. I raced him thru the house announcing he's home he's home!!! And then calmed down and placed him back into his pen. I gave him a whole box of strawberries but he didn't want those. He went straight for everything that I changed in his pen. I gave him a house with two entrances that he walked through. He walked straight to a new flower pot and checked it out. He stared at a branch that I had moved. And then he looked at the water hole and back up at me. He looked at it again and back up at me. I gave him fresh water and immediately he went head first into the water and stayed there at an angle for awhile. Then he followed me everywhere until I dug for worms. He ate those. Then he checked out every hide. I gave him a tomato and he ate that. Then he retreated into his new house with no hesitation...he was home. I'm scared to leave him but today, I think he's relieved. I need to make enclosure taller...

 

[TurtleTab]

 

[TurtleTab]

This is 1 side of his pen that is mostly open with a young blackberry bush and strawberry patch. My walls are brick and rock used from my abundant supply in my yard but I'm planning on redoing this as some of the rocks they use as a ladder of course. Very bottom of lower left is the hibernation den that I dropped down into ground. The pink color is the new house I created, not fond of pink color but it's what I had lying around. I tried covering it with leaves and other brown things but I'm about to "mud" it up.

 

[leigti]

I'm so glad he came back! I can't even imagine how devastated you were feeling. Will spoil him rotten so he doesn't forget where the good life is. And build that wall taller

 

[TigsMom]

Congratulations for his Happy Homecoming!

 

[TurtleTab]

I was devastated. He's been gone for 2 weeks. But I've lost him longer before for 3 months. Last time I thought raccoons ran off with him and I mourned him for a long time. But one random day he was sitting on my front yard basking in the sun. This time I knew he was alive, just didn't know if someone took him in or if he was wandering around my neighborhood. Thank god thank god he's home. Walls will be taller!!

 

[Flipper]

Yay! Yippe! I'm very happy for you!

 

[Jabuticaba]

Welcome home, Allen!


May, Aussies, & THBs
IG: @AUSSOMEAUSSIES

 

[Eric Phillips]

Awesome! So happy for you, its been an eventful couple of weeks for sure.

 

[Carol S]

I am so happy he returned safe and sound. He is such a naughty little one wandering off like that and making his mommy so sad and worried.

 

[pam]

So glad he is home Great news

 

[johnsonnboswell]

So glad he's back! Cap the walls, especially the corners, and make sure the walls are smooth instead of forming steps. Once they know they can escape they can make a habit of it.

 

[Moozillion]

Congratulations!!!!

 

[NicoleB26]

Congratulations !!!! What a relief for you . Hopefully the others will return soon!

 

[Jodie]

I like HAPPY endings! Very happy for you. Thanks for shearing and starting my Monday. A little better.

 

[TurtleTab]

Now that I know that he used that hole I want to close it off but I still have hope that Bedelia or the other 2 may use it too. So....it's an open highway for now but soon it'll be under construction indefinitely haha.

 

[Running Elk]

Congrats on him coming home. I've heard that boxies tend to roam one area, so hopefully the others will turn up too.

 

[wellington]

WOOHOO, so happy for you and Allen. I love that first pic, just adorable. Hopefully, he won't got wondering around again.

 

[lynnedit]

So happy to hear your story!
21 years! :O

He decided that having a servant freshen up his water, dig worms, and provide fresh produce wasn't so bad after all, lol

 

[bouaboua]

Congrats! ! ! ! ! ! !I think he also like to be home.