Yoda has gone missing.  Not the legendary Jedi Master who led the Jedi Order through the time of the High Republic, in the years leading up to its destruction by the Sith, but the much loved tortoise companion of Olive Love.

“It’s breaking my heart,” says Olive. “I wonder what’s going to happen next.”

Yoda has been eking out his entire life, apparently 34 years of it so far, in the front garden of Olive’s donkey farm at Windermere. Happily kicking around the grass, navigating garden ornaments and flowers, dozing and enjoying a relaxed lifestyle with his well-fenced outdoor enclosure.

And now he has disappeared, leaving the community puzzled and concerned.

Yoda the tortoise pictured enjoying life in his usual habitat. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

Olive, a 93-year-old much-loved resident, has been a stalwart presence in Windermere for over three decades.

Her donkey farm, nestled alongside State Highway 29A, has been a haven and home not only for her, but also for the beloved animals under her watchful eye, including rescued donkeys and horses.

Olive Love doesn't know where her tortoise Yoda is. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

Yoda, a fixture in Olive’s garden, has been a source of joy and comfort for both Olive and her visitors.

“He’s been in my front garden all his life,” says Olive. “I watch him because he can go like the clappers. If tortoises get free they can go 10kms.”

Tortoises move very slowly on dry land, at only 0.27 km per hour, but can cover great distances.

Tortoises have more rounded and domed shells where turtles have thinner, more water-dynamic shells. Turtles are adapted for life spent in water, whereas tortoises are land-dwelling reptiles, and tend to be generally reclusive.

Yoda, the tortoise, has been enjoying life in Olive Love's front garden. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

They have one of the longest lifespans of any animal, and some individuals are known to have lived longer than 150 years.

Yoda spends his hibernation period over winter – April to September - hunkered down inside a two-storey replica of Olive's donkey barn, with two garden gnomes guarding him nearby.

Yoda the tortoise lives in a two-storey replica of Olive Love's donkey barn. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

During hot summer days, tortoises eat voraciously, and spend many hours sleeping, especially in the late afternoons through to the next morning.

Although tortoises love warm weather, they avoid hot sun, hiding under green leaves or between vegetation.

Most land-based tortoises are herbivores, feeding on grasses, weeds, leafy greens, flowers, and some fruits.

Yoda has usually spent summer enjoying his outdoor area with his St Bernard buddy Frodo close at hand, but Frodo has recently had to be put down.

Frodo, the St Bernard buddy of Olive Love and Yoda, has had to be put to sleep. Photo: Bruce Barnard.

The circumstances surrounding Yoda’s disappearance remain shrouded in mystery. Speculations range from a potential escape to an accidental entanglement in the hay bales during routine farm activities.

Concerns have also been raised about the possibility of foul play, with the distressing through that Yoda may have been taken from his home.

“I have a funny feeling he has been taken,” says Olive. “Or he’s got caught up in the hay baling.

“We’ve had a social media post on the Windermere page, and had a really good look for him.”

Frodo the St Bernard dog and Yoda the tortoise used to enjoy summer days together once Yoda had emerged from winter hibernation. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

For Olive, the disappearance of Yoda comes amidst a series of personal losses. She has endured the recent passing of three close friends, and her beloved dog, Frodo. The compounded grief is leaving Olive reeling a bit, her heart heavy with the weight of uncertainty and loss.

“I am 93, I’ve had a bad run, have lost three friends, and had to put Frodo to sleep. At night I put the six donkeys to bed, then I go and pat the tortoise,” says Olive.

“I’ve been here 36 years, had Yoda 34 years, and nobody has done anything nasty.”'

Donkeys at Olive Love's donkey farm in Windermere. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

As the search for Yoda intensifies, the community of Windermere has rallied, spreading the word across social media while Olive has been combing through her fields in the hope of finding her beloved tortoise.

As the days pass the longing for Yoda’s return only grows stronger, and Olive remains steadfast in her determination to reunite with her tortoise chum, holding onto hope even in the face of uncertainty.

Have you seen Yoda? Please let us know so Olive can get her much-loved companion back again.

Donkeys on Olive Love's donkey farm in Windermere. Photo: Bruce Barnard.