Rescuers in Venezuela recovered a pet turtle named Pascualina after she spent more than a month trapped beneath the ruins of a collapsed building [5].

The survival of the animal highlights the unexpected resilience of some species in the wake of catastrophic seismic events. It also brings renewed attention to the ongoing recovery efforts in the affected regions of Venezuela.

The turtle was found in a residence located in the Catia La Mar sector of La Guaira [2, 3]. Pascualina had fallen from a sixth-floor apartment when the structure failed [7]. The collapse was caused by two powerful earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.2 [1] and 7.5 [2].

Reports on the exact timing of the disasters vary. Some sources said the earthquakes occurred on June 24 [3], while other reports date the events to July 24 [4]. Despite the discrepancy in dates, rescuers said the animal remained trapped for 34 days [5] before being brought to safety.

Other reports said that the turtle survived for more than 30 days [6] in the debris. The rescue operation involved clearing heavy rubble to reach the animal, which had remained alive despite the lack of food and water for several weeks.

The recovery of the pet occurred as local teams continued to survey the damage caused by the seismic activity. The events in La Guaira underscore the volatility of the region's geography, and the impact of high-magnitude tremors on residential infrastructure.

“Pascualina, a pet turtle, survived more than 30 days trapped inside a collapsed building.”

This incident illustrates the biological capacity of testudines to enter states of dormancy or withstand extreme deprivation, which can be critical for survival during prolonged entrapment. In a broader context, the conflicting reports on the disaster dates suggest a fragmented information flow during the crisis, though the physical evidence of the turtle's survival confirms a month-long period of entrapment.