During a military operation in southern Lebanon, Noam Mendelson, a paratrooper from southern Israel's Negev region, spotted a tortoise roaming the combat zone. Concerned for its safety, he initially intended to move it to a secure location. However, upon closer inspection, Mendelson noticed the tortoise had an injury to its rear left leg. Realizing it needed medical attention, he decided to take it with him.
Excited by their new companion, Mendelson’s unit named the tortoise "Tzadal," a Hebrew acronym for "Tortoise of South Lebanon," referencing the South Lebanon Army (SLA), an Israeli-allied militia that operated in the area until 2000.
Mendelson brought Tzadal to Israel during his leave, transferring it to the Vet-Safe Clinic in Meitar, a town near his home in the Negev. The clinic administered initial care, including antibiotics and warming treatment. The tortoise was then sent to the Ramat Gan Safari Wildlife Hospital for a comprehensive evaluation, including X-rays, which revealed a fresh leg injury and an active infection.
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Veterinarians at the Safari Hospital have placed Tzadal in their specialized reptile room for further care, including regular wound cleaning, antibiotics and appropriate nutrition.
Dr. Elad Smith, a veterinarian at the Safari, described Tzadal as an adult, possibly elderly, tortoise with a heavily worn shell indicative of a long life. "The injury to her leg is unclear, but it is infected," he said. "Still, her chances for recovery are promising. We’ve seen tortoises heal from similar injuries and return to the wild."
Once fully recovered, Tzadal will be released back into the wild, not in Lebanon but in a habitat within Israel that closely resembles her original environment.