Breaking our own shell...

It was really hot today!

My car showed 104F when I started it around 5pm! As breeze of air circulated it, the temperature slowly lowered down to 93F... I was like, whoa! That is hot!

Came home, sat for sometime, tuned my dilruba and practiced few tunes. Harshbir, my roomie, joined me as well... :-)

Not wasting time, we thought of making a stride outside and feel the hug of nature. We roamed outside for few moments, then went to another friend's place who lives nearby.

After talking here and there for about an hour, we headed back to our building, just strolling casually...

Suddenly, Harshbir showed me something peculiar in nature, I thought it was a big rock (about 8inches in diameter), but it later turned out to be a Tortoise, standing still near an SUV.

Very interestingly, we leaped towards it, wondering it has come astray from its pond and thought of putting it back.

Suddenly, our amusement went to kind of shock, as its shell was crushed, and it was bleeding... one of its leg was broken.

It was not moving, and we were wondering what to do? I remember once I called my apartment's office to give us Animal Shelter's number which never worked, so I thought of other route!

Harshbir advised to call 311 which is a non-emergency number, and when I called them, they transferred to 911.

Here is what the conversation is:-

Operator (O): 911 - what is your emergency?

Me: There is a tortoise lying on the road, I suppose its shell is crushed by some vehicle and one of its hind leg is broken.

O: Is it moving?

Me: Yes, it can crawl

O: That's what they do.

Me: I know they crawl, but are you going to send any help?

O: Yes, I am trying but Turtle is on their low priority, so I am not sure when can they come your side.

Me: I can wait, how much time will they take?

O: NO idea, it depends, can take 1 hr as well.

Me: What am I supposed to do?

O: Just make sure it doesn't go near the road.

Me: Yeah, we have put in on the curb's grass.

O: That is good.

Me: What about it? It can die like that.

O: There is nothing much we can do as of now.

Me: There is a pond nearby, shall I drop it there?

O: Yes, that should be ok.

Me: Any animal care centre nearby, so I can take it there?

O: There is a centre called Golf Rose Animal care, they will take its care.

Me: Ok, thanks.

I asked Harshbir if he can watch the turtle, so I can get my car keys and a box to put the Turtle in it. He waited there and I ran to my apartment.

From there, I called the Animal care centre, and thankfully, they were open. I talked to them, and in hurry, I could only hear, "Please bring it to us, we will take care of it!"

I was happy and jumping with joy that now the little fellow will be back to its normal life soon, as hospital guys will take its care!

I grabbed the box, drove my car to Mr. Turtle. Harshbir helped putting it in the box.

The survival instincts of the turtle to run away from us was astonishing! It was so clear that it wanted to avoid any foreign contact for any further mishap to already broken shell...

Anyhow, we put it in the box in no time, it was already 8pm and was getting dark. I somehow thought of taking the little one's picture with my phone camera.

Drove to the hospital, and rang the emergency doorbell.

The lady came and did "Aww it is so cute, sir, we will take care of it."

Us: Will it live??

She: No sir, as I explained on the phone, we will humanely euthanize it.

Us: Oh!

She: Yea, it is sad, but it wouldn't live with this condition, so it is better to euthanize it. You did a good and nice job to bring it here. Thanks.

Us: Thanks.

Sad, both of us, walking towards the car... wondering what has happened!

At once, it was about to die, next moment we think it will survive as the hospital will take its care, but then it has to die?

Are we susceptible to such situations? May be, may be not!

If it was "my" Tortoise, I would have paid its cost with pet insurance, and hopefully it may have survived, but no one insures a free tortoise!

I had no idea if I can take insurance of a free tortoise. I could not bring it with me, as we had absolutely no idea how to take its care, and probably make it suffer even more. We just couldn't realize how much pain that little creature would be in.

Dropped it in the nurse's hands, we headed home.

I just could not think of any one to blame for his death...

• Tortoise's shell looks like a stone, so any driver would have easily misjudged it for a rock.
• Police have other human violations issue, so obviously they couldn't come for a tortoise.
• Hospital cannot take a wild animal's care, may be it couldn't survive being the shell its part of the body, OR, there was no insurance over it.

Who died? The innocent turtle...

I just cannot understand this shell of life!