Grandmother sees giant tortoise as the perfect pet

The name Hao Yulan may not ring a bell even with her neighbors, but she is known online nationwide as "Grandma Tortoise".

Hao, an 83-year-old grandmother who lives in Changchun, Jilin province, became well-known after local media reported her taking her pet giant tortoise Xiaosu out for a walk.

The tortoise always attracts attention with its distinctive size and appearance, and Hao accepts all requests for photos and videos as well as answering questions.

Xiaosu is a 10-year-old African spurred tortoise, also known as a sulcata tortoise.

Hao acquired it on a trip to Yunnan province in 2007. She bought it for 900 yuan ($135) when it was only 2 months old and the size of a fist. The seller told her it could eventually weigh between 200 and 250 kilograms.

Xiaosu now weighs 50 kg. Due to its size and weight, Hao has to keep it on the ground floor of the building she lives in as there is no lift to transport it to her home on the third floor.

She has created a small home for it and has even installed a heater for cold days. She also prepares its daily meal of cucumber in summer and orange or apple in winter together with egg and bread.

Hao talks to Xiaosu every day and sings to the tortoise during their walks: "Walking the tortoise when the sun shines brighter, sulcata tortoise followed by me with a stroller, when Su feels heavier I carry it farther, how I wish our joy would last forever!"

Hao thinks the tortoise is the perfect pet as it only needs to be walked on warm, sunny days and it can't run away. "It wanders ahead of me at a slow pace, so I simply follow.

"I once thought that I should give Xiaosu to others, considering my age; however, I decided to take care of it for as long as I can," she said, adding that her eldest son would take over until her wish of Xiaosu reaching its full size is realized.

Hao's interest in turtles and tortoises was inspired by the television program Animal World, which she still watches every night. Her first purchase was a Brazilian redeared slider turtle in 1999.

Li Jiayue contributed to this story.

hanjunhong@chinadaily.com.cn