Beloved Pet Tortoise Myrtle Reunited with Family After Missing in Mississippi Tornado

A tortoise named Myrtle has been reunited with its family in Mississippi after vanishing during a tornado in March. "He's been through a lot," said Tiffany Emanuel, Myrtle's owner. "I know that he knows just as much as I do that every step of the way I'm going to be there helping him, caring for him, making sure he gets, you know, the help that he needs."

The Emanuel family had to leave their home in Kokomo on March 15 when a tornado struck. Upon returning, they found two pine trees had crushed Myrtle's outdoor shelter, and the tortoise was missing. Weeks later, a neighbour discovered the injured tortoise.

Rescue and Recovery

Myrtle was taken to Central Mississippi Turtle Rescue for treatment on April 4. Christy Milbourne, the founder and co-director of the organisation, said, "The lady who found the tortoise called me and she said she had run into the owners. She said, I think they're going to be calling you. So, I was excited, and then the owners did call and say, Yeah, that's my tortoise."

Now back with his family, Myrtle is being nursed back to health by Emanuel. She expressed relief at having some happiness amid recent sadness and loss. "It feels good to kind of have some kind of happy out of so much sad and grief and loss," Emanuel said.