There is always something admirable about tenacity. Not just in human beings, but in our animal companions too.
While they can sometimes make things way harder on themselves than they need to be, sometimes they will also preoccupy themselves with worthy challenges.
Just take Tokka, the Aldabra Tortoise, for instance. He is a very determined little fellow. You see, there is a tasty Mango dangling inside his pen, and he really wants to eat it.
But the problem is, it is hard for him to grip this round fruit with his mouth. It’s just a little too big for him. But no matter, Tokka is a very patient tortoise, and he is more than up for the challenge.
Clearly, this was no easy task for him. That mango was just a little too big for him to grip in his mouth. But notice how he doesn’t get discouraged, and he never gives up. Tokka has the heart of a true champion.
Many people comment on this video, concerned for Tokka’s well-being. They were worried that the human who took this video was being mean and neglectful by filming Tokka’s struggle to get the mango, instead of taking the mango down for him and then giving it to him.
However, there was more going on here than meets the eye. According to the caption for this video, this “struggle” was actually a very important form of enrichment for Tokka.
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The commenter elaborated, “This is Tokka, he’s an Aldabra Tortoise. His primary diet as a grazer is various grasses and weeds. The occasional fruit, like mango, is great from time to time, very sparingly.”
The commenter continued, “For Tokka, it’s a yearly occurrence, and it’s controlled, which is why only one side of the mango tree is hanging against the perimeter of his pen. Also, his ‘struggling’ is actually a form of enrichment; his mind is occupied and determined. Again, he did actually get the mango, all on his own.”
For those of you who want to see Tokka enjoying a mango after “struggling” so much in the previous video, you can see him enjoying a very tasty and nutritious-looking mango salad in this other video.
And while he cannot eat tasty mangoes like this too much because that could lead to “nutritional imbalances” and “digestive issues,” according to this video’s caption, it is still quite satisfying to watch him chow down on that juicy fruit.
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