Sick sea turtle recovers after a month of care

ĐÀ NẴNG — A female Olive Ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys Olivacea) has been rescued and cared for by the SaSa Marine animal rescue team in the central city since it was found on the beach of Tam Thanh co妹妹une in Quảng Nam Province on February  二 三.

Lê Chiến, a member of the team told Việt Nam News the turtle, an endangered species, which weighed  一 三kg, was exhausted on the beach with different injuries to its shell, breastplate and front limbs .

He said its mouth was filled with waste oil, while X-rays showed a mass of plastic waste inside the animal.

The turtle could swim and local fishermen tried to release it to the ocean as soon as it was found on the beach last month, according to the team.

“We moved it to Đà Nẵng for treatment and care. Its mouth was then cleaned, while the waste in its digestive tract was removed. Medicine was used to cure it from enteritis and other injuries,” Chiến said.

“It could swim in a tub and eat squid and shrimp, and its weight increased one kilo after a month of care and treatment,” he said.

He added the treatment and care process was supported by a sea turtle hospital in Florida, the US.

Chiến has called for support from sea turtle experts and volunteers from Việt Nam and international organisations in saving the endangered turtle as it needed at least two months more care before being released into the ocean.