It’s not exactly a secret that tortoises can be slow. Anyone would get tired of lugging around a giant shell, but fortunately, turtles and tortoises can also move quickly when they need to. In some cases, a little speed can even save their lives.

A brave rescued tortoise named Leo proved this on February 9 when she ran away from her burning enclosure with no major injuries. A heat lamp fell and ignited the flames only inches from where she slept, but some quick thinking and even quicker feet helped her escape in the nick of time. No wonder she’s going viral after her close call!

Go, Leo! It’s such a relief to see her scuttling away from her enclosure, especially because it’s completely engulfed in flames. That’s not a small fire by any means, but luckily, a neighbor was able to help extinguish it and locate the terrified tortoise.

“She said, ‘I got another 100 years to live, I ain’t going out like this,'” wrote commenter @kylaf0x. This pet tortoise wasn’t messing around! She’s only been in her forever home for about a month, and she didn’t endure three years of neglect just to go down in an accidental fire.

Related: Lazy Goat Casually Hitches a Ride on Top of Unbothered Tortoise Like the Diva That She Is

She did, however, sleep through the start of the disaster. Leo’s mom shared a few harrowing videos from inside her enclosure on her account, @leothehomelesstort. Although it’s hard to see her panicking, it’s a massive relief to know she’s safe and sound.

Leo’s debacle has inspired several jokes, a few conspiracies, and even a meme. Now that we know she’s okay, it’s hard not to laugh at comments like: “I know insurance fraud when I see it. She wanted a new house.” @Khemivmt might be onto something!

How Fast are Tortoises?

Pet turtles and tortoises spend most of their time sleeping, relaxing, or moving slowly, so it can be a surprise when they quickly scuttle away. As a child, I had a box turtle who never failed to surprise me with her sprints across the yard! Turtle and tortoise speeds can vary by species, age, and size, but these leisurely animals should never be underestimated.

Bertie, the current Guinness World Record holder for Fastest Tortoise, reached a top speed of 0.28 meters per second. That’s 0.626 mph!

We may not know how quickly Leo ran while escaping the flames, but the most important thing is that she’s safe. After being treated for minor smoke inhalation, she’s being pampered like the queen she is!

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This story was originally published by PetHelpful on Feb 16, 2026, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add PetHelpful as a Preferred Source by clicking here.