06/04/2026
With patience & consistency, we did it!
When Matcha first arrived at Joshua Tree Reptile Haven, he needed major surgery to remove abscesses. But while the surgery helped heal his body, something else remained broken… his trust.
We care daily for hundreds of tortoises and turtles, but Matcha became one of the most difficult trust cases we have ever encountered. Every movement, every approach, every interaction was met with fear. He would retreat into his shell long before we could get close.
Today, that has changed.
For the first time, Matcha is walking confidently around his enclosure and no longer retracts into his shell when we approach. To many people, that may seem like a small thing. To us, it is one of the biggest victories we could ask for.
There was no surgery to fix this. No medication. No shortcut. Trust was earned one day at a time through patience, consistency, and showing Matcha over and over again that he was finally safe.
Rescue is about more than saving a life. Sometimes it is about helping an animal believe they no longer have to be afraid.
Today, Matcha is showing us that all the effort was worth it.
Thank you for following his journey and helping us provide lifelong care to animals like Matcha. 💚🐢☺️
