An aged tortoise has become the centre of attraction at the on-going Made-in-Abia Exhibition holding at Ibeku High School, Umuahia, the state capital. The bulky tortoise was caught 20 years ago by a famous farmer and proprietor of Nteke Farms in Ukwa West Local Government of Abia State, Chief Ernest Dike Nwosu.

Instead of killing it, Nwosu, who said the animal brought him luck when he captured it, has been taking care of it in his farm. But now he craves to send it to the zoo for the sake of posterity.

Nwosu told News Express that it would please him if the tortoise is sent to any of the zoos in the country. He also has made that intention public as could be seen in the sign post beside the animal. It reads: “Tortoise: Am 20 years old. Send to the Zoo.”

The tortoise, one of the star items on display at the 66 years old farmer’s stand at the exhibition venue, is resting inside an iron cage and is fed with pieces of pineapple which are dropped around it. Both old men and children have been besieging the Ukwa West Pavilion of Nwosu to catch a glimpse of it. Many, especially young girls, were seen taking pictures of the animal with their mobile phones.

Described as a very shy animal, the tortoise calmly remained inside its shell. It is said that it could remain in that position for days if it senses danger and for a shorter period if it feels the presence of people when it is eating.

Nwosu said he picked the tortoise in 1993 off the shores of Azumini Blue River in his native Ukwa land on his way to the farm. According to him, the tortoise, the type that lives in water, may have been washed ashore by the river and it strayed while preying.

Nwosu said he would have killed and eaten the tortoise long ago but his desire to preserve it and take it to the zoo made him to keep it alive.

“This is a special breed of tortoise. It is rare to be seen, that is why I preserved it. I could have killed and feasted with it and preserve only the shell but I have to preserve it for posterity,” he stated.

Nwosu also said that he spared the animal because its entry into his home brought him a stroke of luck. Said he: “If you catch a tortoise, you have found favour. Tortoise is a harbinger of good tidings. If you are fortunate to catch a tortoise, luck would be your portion for that year. When I caught this particular tortoise, I experienced luck and favours in various aspects of my life.

“First, I won two contracts which yielded huge revenue for me and I was able to sponsor two of my children abroad the same year. Same with my brother. The week he picked a tortoise, he played pool, five killer draws, and he won. From the proceeds, he built a fine house and for three consecutive weeks, he continued to play for three draws and was winning. So tortoise brings good luck.”
Nwosu said though he has spent a fortune in rearing the animal he wants to send it to either of the zoos in Enugu, Jos or Port Harcourt as part of his sacrifice to the development of zoos in the country.

“When it is taken to the zoo, my name would enter into the record as the one who caught the tortoise. What I want is name,” he said.

He made a case for the establishment of a zoo in Abia since the state has suitable forests for that purpose to serve as a tourist centre.

“When I landed here, the tortoise became the centre of attraction. Pupils and students besieged me, asking many questions and I had to start teaching them about it but if there was a zoo here, it would not be very new to them,” he said.