Leopard Tortoise Named Blue Rescued; on the Road to Recovery

Photo Credit: Wild Heart Wildlife Foundation

A Leopard Tortoise painted and named Blue has been rescued by the Wild Heart Wildlife Foundation! Here, he will undergo big efforts to remove the paint problems impacting his health.

Limpopo, South Africa (31 March 2025) — A Leopard Tortoise named and painted Blue has been rescued and is on the slow, but steady road to recovery, thanks to the Wild Heart Wildlife Foundation team.

Leopard Tortoises can find themselves in numerous situations that pull them from their natural homes, like ending up in the illegal wildlife and pet trades, or in the yards of traditional healers, as was the case for Blue.

The Leopard Tortoise is one of the largest tortoises on the African continent. This, coupled with a generous lifespan, positions the animal to be seen as a symbol of strength and endurance. This symbolism is particularly true for Blue, who, as the Wild Heart Wildlife Foundation’s co-founder Carina Crayton shares, is a survivor.

“Blue, a Leopard Tortoise, was rescued when he got out of the yard of the Sangoma (traditional healer) who painted him,” Carina explains, adding that the paint was likely for a form of identification.

However, paint is not something to brush off when it comes to shelled creatures.

“Tortoise’s shells are not just armour; they are an integral part of their skeletal structure, with their ribs and spine fused to the shell,” Carina says.

“Their shells are porous, and this porosity allows tortoises to absorb moisture through their shells, which is particularly important for young tortoises and those living in arid environments,” Carina explains. “Because of this permeability, painting a tortoise’s shell can be harmful, as the paint can block the absorption of moisture and sunlight, which is needed for vitamin D synthesis and Calcium [absorption]”.

Thanks to Blue’s rescuer, Loraine Botha and Martin van der Breggen, who transported Blue to the wildlife rescue and rehabilitation facility, the Leopard Tortoise has a fighting chance at a new and better life.

The team stabilised him and started working on the paint removal, which Carina says will be both time-consuming and stressful for Blue. However, it’s all necessary to get him healthy again.

“We have a specialised, non-toxic, organic product which we are using to help lift the paint,” Carina says.

For those looking to support rescues like Blue’s, Carina is hosting a birthday fundraiser in honour of her foundation’s mission to serve wildlife, which you can find here.