Last week, while driving down a remote road on a scorching afternoon, Cledson Matias de Oliveira noticed something in the road.
A little armadillo was present and was standing in the center of the road. He appeared to be calling Cledson’s attention.
“The armadillo appeared to be asking for something as he stood. I think he was pleading for help,” Cledson told The Dodo. “Without pausing, I swiftly came to a standstill.”
Not only was it particularly hot out, the air was also smoky from wildfires burning in the region. Cledson rightfully assumed the little armadillo was thirsty.
So, after moving him to the roadside, and fetching water from his car, the kind passerby offered the armadillo a drink.
“He drank the water with great desire,” Cledson said. “He was really happy [I stopped]. I could feel it at the moment.”
Here’s that moment on video:
“I believe he understood that I was there to help him,” Cledson said. “Normally, armadillos do not let human beings get close to them. It was magical and unique.”
After finishing, the armadillo lingered beside Cledson for a while, which Cledson saw as a sign of respect and appreciation.
Although Cledson pondered bringing the armadillo home to wait out the flames, he was aware that this was against the law and that the armadillo belonged in the wild. But just being able to assist the tiny creature was a prize in and of itself.
Cledson remarked, “It was quite lovely and satisfying.”
0 Comments