Sometimes animals become caught in places they shouldn’t be and require a little human assistance to get to safety.
It’s always gratifying to see folks go out of their way to assist a creature in need. Recently, one man stopped a train to save a turtle’s life.
Serhat Topal is a streetcar driver in Turkey. He was on his regular route when he observed something unusual on the tracks: a turtle.
“It was a turtle trying to cross the tracks toward the countryside, but he was stuck,” Serhat told The Dodo. “I think he was scared.”
Then Serhat did something extraordinary: he stopped the train, got off, and went out of his way to assist the turtle.
He took up the animal, preventing it from being ran over by any approaching trains, and lifted it over the fence to safety.
Serhat stated the turtle appeared healthy and cheerfully went away after reaching the opposite side.
It was the proper thing to do, but anyone who has commuted by train knows that passengers don’t always appreciate unexpected delays.
But Turkey is known for its residents’ sympathy for stray animals, so when Serhat described the issue to them, they understood: the driver stated that they were “happy because I helped.”
“All living things are our friends, and we should approach them with love,” Serhat told The Dodo. “Everyone should consider this their duty. I have simply done my duty.”
Thank you to this good samaritan for going out of the way to help this turtle! We agree, its our duty to look out for our friends in nature.