Unbelievable Survival: Tortoise Endures Glass Crusher Trauma at Recycling Facility
A Hermann’s tortoise, named Pee-wee, has stunned rescuers after surviving an unimaginable ordeal at a recycling plant. The resilient tortoise was accidentally mixed with waste and passed through several pieces of heavy machinery, including a glass crusher. Despite suffering injuries, including cuts and shell damage, Pee-wee managed to survive, leaving everyone involved in disbelief.
Tortoise’s Miraculous Escape from Recycling Plant Machinery
In a truly remarkable turn of events, Pee-wee, a Hermann’s tortoise, managed to survive what seemed like an inescapable fate. The incident took place at the Mid-UK Recycling Centre in Grantham, Lincolnshire, where Pee-wee was accidentally caught up in a waste pile. He was scooped up by a digger, sent through a hopper, and then through a glass crusher. Amazingly, the tortoise emerged, bloodied but alive, leaving those involved in awe.
Paul Frost, a 41-year-old forklift driver at the recycling center, was shocked when he saw the tortoise. “I never thought he would make it. He had cuts, a chunk missing from his shell, and looked so fragile,” Paul recalled. Just as things were looking grim, his colleague spotted Pee-wee on a conveyor belt, only moments away from being processed in another machine. The tortoise, though battered, was resilient, prompting Paul to take him home to give him the care he so desperately needed.
At home, Paul’s wife, Louise, took charge of Pee-wee’s recovery. “We gently bathed him in warm water. When I scrubbed his shell with a toothbrush, it felt like he was smiling. It was so sweet,” she shared. After feeding him cucumber, they were amazed at how much energy Pee-wee still had left. “It’s a miracle that he wasn’t more seriously injured,” Louise said, marveling at his miraculous survival.
The exact path Pee-wee took to the recycling center remains unclear, but Paul suspects the tortoise was accidentally discarded while hibernating or perhaps abandoned by an owner who could no longer care for him. It’s possible that Pee-wee had been trapped in the waste for as long as two months before finally arriving at the plant in a 22-ton load of rubbish.
Paul’s reputation as an animal rescuer has only grown following the incident. After saving three kittens from the plant last year, his coworkers now fondly call him “Dr. Dolittle.” With Pee-wee’s survival story, the nickname seems even more fitting.
Veterinarian Sara Marchant, from Kirks Vets in Sleaford, is currently treating Pee-wee. “It’s incredibly lucky that he survived such an ordeal,” Sara said. Though Pee-wee is microchipped, the chip is unregistered, so no owner has been traced yet. Sara remains hopeful that someone may come forward, but if not, Paul and Louise are ready to welcome the brave tortoise into their home permanently.
For now, Pee-wee continues to receive medical care and is showered with attention from those amazed by his incredible escape. From the horrors of the recycling plant to the safety of a loving home, Pee-wee’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary.
