Turtle rescued from rubble a month after Venezuela earthquake

What the report says

Al Jazeera reported that a turtle named Pascualina was found alive in the debris of a collapsed building in Venezuela more than a month after an earthquake. The outlet said the animal was pulled from the rubble and had reportedly fallen from the sixth floor before remaining trapped for weeks. The report was published on 30 July 2026.

According to Al Jazeera, Pascualina has since been reunited with her owners. The brief video report did not identify the city, the date or magnitude of the earthquake, the condition of the building, or whether rescuers were still conducting wider searches at the site. It also did not provide details on the turtle’s medical condition after the rescue.

The story highlights the extended aftermath of earthquake damage, when rubble removal and recovery work can continue long after the initial emergency response. Animals and pets are often among those affected by disasters, and reunions with owners can become a small but notable part of recovery efforts for families who have lost homes or possessions.

As general context, turtles can sometimes endure long periods with limited movement compared with many mammals, but survival in collapsed structures depends on factors such as injury, access to air, temperature and moisture. Those specifics were not included in Al Jazeera’s report, so the precise circumstances that allowed Pascualina to survive remain unclear.