I’ll say it upfront: even though the situation is dire and people are suffering, I’m proud of those who are taking care not just of themselves, but also other living beings. Not to sound too sappy, but I believe it’s our capacity to look beyond just ourselves when we feel threatened that is the true spirit of humankind. And the cold-affected states are showing that their legendary southern hospitality goes deeper and further than others would think.

A representative of 'Sea Turtle, Inc.' told Bored Panda that as of Wednesday night, they'd saved 4.5k turtles and counting. "Efforts are still ongoing but rescue efforts have seen much fewer turtles stranded on Wednesday which is a good sign," they said.

"We want to gradually bring them back from the cold temperatures so people bringing them in cannot turn on car heaters. Gradually bringing up their body temperatures will do less long-term damage than trying to warm them up faster," the representative explained the intricacies of transporting the sea turtles.

"Sea turtles are cold-blooded animals so they rely on the water temperature they are in to regulate their body temperature. Once they go into this hypothermic shock state we called cold-stunned they cannot move flippers or bring their head up to draw breath. They become paralyzed and very vulnerable out in the water. If not rescued they could drown to death. We continue to watch these cold temperatures, but Saturday is looking like a good day of water temperatures for some to be released back into the ocean. This day is not official yet."

If you'd like to support 'Sea Turtle, Inc.' and all the good that they do, you can send them a donation through their main page right here. "We have been amazed at the outpouring of assistance we have received. We are in need of monetary funds to continue the care of these animals. Some will stay in our hospital due to injuries they can in with aside from the cold stun state. That will take weeks or even months of rehabilitation."

Texans, as well as Americans from other southern states, were encouraged to bring their farm animals inside during the cold snap. I know it’s a very difficult time, but the photos of the animals making themselves at home inside really do restore a part of your humanity.

The cold has had a powerful negative impact not just on the residents of the southern US, but also on the livestock industry. Power outages disrupted supply chains and animals were left running short on food and water.

It’s not just farm animals that are getting lots of love from the southerners. People are also rescuing thousands of sea turtles in Texas that were stunned by the cold. The temperature dropped to just -14 degrees F (-10 degrees C), the first time this happened since 1989. Temperatures rose to the 40s on Wednesday (around 4 degrees C) are expected to rise slowly and reach the 60s (over 15 degrees C) by the weekend.

Texans, volunteering with 'Sea Turtle, Inc.,' are taking the sea turtles to the South Padre Island convention center. Ed Caum, executive director of the South Padre Island Convention and Visitors Bureau told the Associated Press about the amount of help people are providing: “Every 15 minutes or less there’s another truck or SUV that pulls up.”

According to Caum, people sometimes bring in just a single turtle or a pair. Meanwhile, others drive in with their trailers loaded up with 50, 80, and over 100 turtles. Wholesome? Wholesome! If this were an adventure book, the turtles would owe their saviors a (cold) blood debt and later arrive in humankind’s greatest moment of need (we’re still waiting for the alien invasion and zombie apocalypse that 2020 promised, remember).

Caum confirmed to AP that they’ve “collected” more than 3.5k sea turtles so far. Bored Panda has since learned from 'Sea Turtles, Inc.' that the number of turtles helped out is higher. However, Caum stressed the sad reality that not every turtle will be able to be saved: “We know we’re going to lose some.”

Hopefully, as the temperature in Texas continues to rise, the turtles will be able to be released back into the Gulf once it’s warm enough. “We’re trying to do the best we can to save as many turtles as possible,” Caum said, adding that they were able to keep the turtles warm once power to the convention center was restored.

What are your thoughts about people opening up their hearts and homes to animals? Would you do the same if there were any animals in need near you, dear Pandas? If any of you are in Texas or the southern states, what is the situation like in your local area? Let us know in the comment section. Stay warm!