This Turtle didn’t really speak the words, she did however share how aquaculture works. I know that this sounds quite bizarre and it is, but you need to understand how much I enjoy the company of animals and helping them out.
With the recent Colorado Fires as well as record temperatures and no humidity of what feels like months, the lake levels have gone down tremendously, some of creeks have dried up and natural water supplies for the animals in nature are lacking. We currently live in a very small neighborhood, about 2 miles from the nearest lake.
There is a stream that flows into it, but it is dry. If there is not Aqua, then there is no way to show how Aquaculture works. Or is there? It is a great lesson on how important we as humans are in the survival or our environment, as it makes us aware how the way we live affects others.
Three days ago, while out in the garden, I spotted a cat stalking something on the other side of our car. I walked around the car, and there was this good size box turtle hissing at the cat, fighting for its life. I of course scared the cat away and offered the turtle some water. She declined, she was more interested in fleeing from what she saw as danger.
We placed her in the garden underneath the shade of the plants and let her catch her breath and rest.
In the meantime, Heather, my wife had gone to different neighbors and asked if anyone had lost a large box turtle. The answer was no, even from Angie who has a pond at her home and keeps turtles. She came over to the house, we gave the turtle to her to be placed in her care for rehabilitation and then release.
Once the turtle was in the aquarium, so she would be alone to recuperate, she dunked her head down and drank in the fresh filtered water from her temporary home. She was not ready to eat yet, however, a couple of hours later she started to gobble up the organic vegetable offered her from the garden. Greens, carrots and some squash were a great start back to health for our guest.
Then yesterday, she was fully hydrated and appeared anxious to get back to her life in the nearby lake. She was driven there by Heather and Angie, where they placed her on the grass near the lake. She looked around a bit, saw the water then ran for it! She did not go in very far at first, but she swam a little bit, turned around and looked back. She then went a little deeper, turned around came back a little bit then swam parallel to the shore for a bit, looking back at her hosts for the last couple of days.
She then went out deeper, Came back in a little bit looking at the shore. She submerged for a short while, came back up, turned around looked at the shore, then she was gone. Thankful to be home and showing gratitude to her caretakers.
She had gone searching for life help she needed in the form of some water, but got stuck on the edge of a small town without a place to drink or be safe. But she did teach all of us how aquaculture works, or not when there are extreme conditions.
She shared how aquaculture is dependent upon a lot of factors. A complete environmental system that work together to keep us all living to the best purposes for which we are created for. Whether it is providing food, service, materials or just a small act of kindness, Aquaculture is another example of the wonderful world that we share with everyone here.
Turning Your Dreams into the Life of Your Dreams
Founder hisfarm.org and Ambassador of Natural News and Sustainable Living on How to Live on Purpose.com
