As it is made clear in the tale of “The Tortoise and the Hare,” some of Mother Earth’s creatures are able to move swiftly, but then there are other slow-paced species that are forced to use their wit and cunning to survive in the wild.
This adorable tortoise miraculously managed to survive one of the deadly forest fires that have been raging across Turkey's southern Antalya province for more than a week by taking refuge in a burrow.
Firefighters spotted the tortoise amongst smoldering trees while they doused the area as part of their efforts to quell the blaze.
Benevolent officers then gave the creature a drink of water and transported it to a new habitat untouched by the infernal flames.
According to official figures, at least eight people have lost their lives since the fires started in southern Turkey last Wednesday, however, the extent of the damage the blazes have wrought on wildlife remains to be determined.
Turkey has successfully contained 160 of 174 wildfires that have emerged since last week, according to a Wednesday statement by the country’s Forestry Directorate.
The directorate said in a statement that the wildfires took place in 39 of Turkey’s 81 provinces, adding that the remaining 14 blazes are ongoing in five provinces around southern/southwestern Turkey: Antalya, Mugla, Aydin, Isparta, and Denizli.
