PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - The tale of three-legged tortoise Onesibindi, which means “brave one" in isiXhosa, has highlighted the plight of wild animals being kept illegally as pets.

Onesibindi was recently rescued in Knysna where it was being kept as a pet and now lives as the Tenikwa Wildlife Rehabilitation and Awareness Centre in Plettenberg Bay as it can never be released into the wild.

Keri McMorran, managing director and wildlife rehabilitator at the centre, said the tortoise was taken from the wild and kept as a pet, which is illegal to do in South Africa.

'Drilled hole through shell'

“To make sure he stayed with them, they drilled a hole through his shell and attached a chain to him,” McMorran said.

The chain, however, eventually wrapped itself around the tortoise’s front leg and in its struggle to free itself, it broke the leg and partially severed it.

Authorities confiscated the tortoise and took it to the Knysna Veterinary Clinic, where they assessed it.

'Long rehabilitation'

“He needed time to recover from everything he had been through, so they contacted Tenikwa Wildlife Rehabilitation and Awareness Centre in the Crags, Plettenberg Bay. We fetched him and brought him back to the centre to start what would be a very long rehabilitation.

Read more about this story in this weeks' edition of the Knysna-Plett Herald.

‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’