Little Kobe may be one of the best loved terrapins in the world.

Kobe's owner, Jason Ninomiya of Waikele, couldn't bear to leave his 3-year-old diamondback terrapin behind when he moved back to Hawai'i this summer, so he made special travel arrangements, jumped through several bureaucratic hoops and made secure accommodations in his home to be allowed to bring the turtle into the state.

"He is special," Ninomiya said of the 4-inch-long turtle. "He is really friendly. He will follow you around. The red-ear sliders will just run away from you."

Yesterday, the state Board of Agriculture gave the final approval for Kobe to live in Hawai'i with several restrictions. Ninomiya, fiancee Kahala Ogata, and his parents, Andy and Myrna Ninomiya, were all smiles and hugs as they left the hearing.

Kobe's saga began three years ago when Ninomiya found the tiny turtle at a reptile farm outside Chicago. Ninomiya was working on his pediatric residency at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Ill.

Knowing the diamondback terrapin is restricted in Hawai'i, he started the paperwork in March for an import permit.

"We couldn't leave him," Ninomiya said.

To reduce the amount of time Kobe would spend in quarantine, Ninomiya decided to drive from Chicago to Seattle rather than fly, stopping on the way to show the little guy Mount Rushmore and Yellowstone National Park. At night, Kobe was placed in his portable tank and accommodated in hotels across the land.

Kobe has been in quarantine at the airport for two weeks now and is expected to be allowed to go home today.

Domingo Cravalho Jr., an animal specialist with Agriculture Department, said the concern about bringing in Kobe is that if he were to escape and breed, a diamondback turtle population would compete with native sea birds for the fish, crustacean, clams and crabs both groups eat.

"The only issue would be containment, and living in Waikele, which is far from streams and well away from Pearl Harbor and near-shore areas, reduces that risk," Cravalho said. "Having him within a container and inside a home makes things a little easier to feel comfortable with the import."

There are a few restrictions placed on Kobe. He has passed a health inspection and will have to have regular health maintenance examinations. Health inspectors will make annual checks of the family home to make sure he is contained and following the rules. He will never be allowed to breed as long as he lives, which is expected to be another 30 to 40 years.

"We named him for Kobe Bryant, but that was before he got into trouble," Ninomiya said. "He's better than Kobe Bryant."