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I had a Giant Tortoise Encounter at the zoo yesterday, finally redeeming my birthday gift from Joh!
They let Joh and our friend join in, too. We fed them carrots on skewers, with one of them chasing us around the yard. We gave them cuddles, massaging their shoulders, petting their heads, and scrubbing their shells, which to my suprise they *loved*, stopping to lean into the attention.
Photo by my friend, posted with permission.
And we learned all about them! One was 45, a rescue with a collapsed shell. One was sixty, a rescue missing a foot. And one was 39 with a perfect shell, on a 30 year loan from another zoo.
It was a magical experience and I can't believe they let my friends join in as well. I adore giant tortoises, but they're Joh's favourite animals. Getting to see Joh in heaven as he got to cuddle a giant tortoise was a gift all on its own.
@vicorva Tortoises are wonderful
and yeah, their shells are sensitive, and not enough people know that
@WizardOfDocs I knew they could feel through their shell, but not that they would enjoy being stroked! :D
@vicorva truly, is there any vertebrate that doesn't love skritches?
(I've even seen videos of fish demanding petting from aquarium staff!)
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