Former Texas mayor reunites with pet tortoise missing 38 days. ‘My Christmas miracle’

Friends of Daniel Guerrero came to love the routine updates from his 25-pound pet tortoise, Diego.

Through Diego’s devoted Instagram account, his followers got a close-up view of the yellow-footed tortoise munching on bananas and watermelon, to enjoying adventures in his native Texas.

Those updates turned worrisome on Oct. 26, when Diego went missing.

“I hope this will help me...” Guerrero, the former mayor of San Marcos, said on Instagram. “Diego is missing and was last seen walking around Bugg Lane and Conway around 2:30 p.m. in Blanco Gardens. If anyone has any info that can help us bring Diego home it would be appreciated.”

As the search for Diego continued, a $1,000 reward was offered for his return. Guerrero feared someone would place him in a river, which he would be unable to survive in.

A few weeks later — still with no sign of Diego — Guerrero adopted a 12-year-old leopard tortoise he named Chiquito.

“He is the only tort I’ve ever had that extends his head towards you to give a nuzzle,” Guerrero said. “He’s definitely fitting in with our circus.”

But on Dec. 3, Chiquito got to meet his sibling with the miraculous return of Diego.

Guerrero said Ben Kvanli, a river activist and former Olympic kayaker, spotted Diego along a river — an area out of place for the South American tortoise.

“Ben has been watching the river while paddling his kayak for decades and Friday evening he spotted a familiar face and shell that was just out of place and searching for his home,” Guerrero said in a Facebook post. “According to Ben, Diego literally walked on to his riverside property. A group of stray cats found Diego at first and drew his attention to a wandering tortoise.”

Thirty-eight days after he went missing, Diego was reunited with his owner. Guerrero said Kvanli did not accept the cash reward, the San Antonio Express-News reported.

“It was like a military guy surprising his kid at Christmas,” Kvanli told the outlet of helping Guerrero and Diego reunite.

Diego was “dehydrated, excited ... and a bit dirty” but certainly glad to be back home, Guerrero said.

“My Christmas miracle arrived early!” Guerrero wrote on Instagram.

Now Diego and Chiquito are adjusting to life with each other, with Guerrero calling it “a work in progress.”

Guerrero now has plans to microchip Diego and add “colorful stickers to his shell” for easier identification.

This story was originally published December 17, 2021 at 10:54 AM.