As a child, Nathalye De Almeida often heard stories from her mother about a beloved pet tortoise named Manuela — a sweet companion from her early years in the 1980s. But those stories always carried a touch of sadness.
That’s because in 1982, when Almeida’s mother was just 8 years old, Manuela mysteriously disappeared.
The family assumed the tortoise had slipped out the front door during a home renovation and wandered off, lost forever.
But they were wrong — very wrong.
Fast forward three decades to 2013. After Almeida’s grandfather passed away, the family began cleaning out his childhood home. His attic, packed to the brim with decades’ worth of belongings, was a challenge to sort through.
As they cleared out the space, someone opened an old wooden speaker box — and inside was a tortoise.
Not just any tortoise — it was Manuela.
“We were stunned,” Almeida told The Dodo. “My mom burst into tears. She couldn’t believe it. They had found Manuela!”
Somehow, against all odds, Manuela had survived more than 30 years in the attic. The family believes she may have sustained herself by eating termites and other insects in the dusty, cluttered space.
Miraculously, she was not only alive — she was healthy.
Since being rediscovered, Manuela has been thriving. In fact, a vet visit revealed another surprise: Manuela is actually a male, now lovingly renamed Manuel.
Almeida has taken over his care and considers him a cherished part of the family.
“Manuel is doing great — he’s grown so much,” she said. “I brought him to live with me because I have so much love for him.”
Though it’s still hard to fathom how he managed to survive all those years unseen, one thing is certain: Manuel was never forgotten by the family who loved him.
“My mom visits often. She’s so happy to see my daughter with him,” Almeida said. “She feeds him, pets him, kisses him. Manuel is one of us.”
