A very sick green sea turtle has been found in a clump of seaweed on a beach while vomiting a strange pink-colored liquid.
The turtle was discovered by resident Jenn Symonds at Middleton Beach in Adelaide, Australia, who then contacted volunteers at the local Wildlife Welfare Organization.
Exhausted and very unwell, the turtle vomited up the strange pink substance, ABC News Australia reported.
“This giant green sea turtle was reported to WWO by Jenn of Middleton Beach,” the Wildlife Welfare Organization (WWO) wrote in a Facebook post that included pictures and video of the turtle’s rescue.
Green sea turtles are the largest hard-shelled sea turtles in the world and only the second largest turtle after the gigantic leatherback sea turtle.
They are found in tropical and subtropical waters around the world, have been sighted off the coasts of over 140 countries, and nest in about 80 countries, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
“These green turtles can weigh around 140 kg [308 lbs] and they are green in color because of their herbivorous diet,” WWO wrote.
“This turtle is well outside of its range as it is typically found in tropical and subtropical waters. They are classified as endangered. When reporting special animals like these, a strict protocol should be followed.”
The WWO described how the turtle was to be examined by a veterinarian on direct orders from the Department of Environment and Water.
The volunteers first got the turtle out of the seaweed and onto the sand before taking it to a veterinarian for a health check so they could figure out what was making it so ill.
“WWO transported the precious cargo to Dr. Anne Fowler. She joked it was the largest animal in her clinic since a 10kg turkey. The WWO team supported Dr. Anne with x-rays and blood tests,” the post reads.
It is estimated that green sea turtles have experienced a 50 percent population decline in the past decade.
The main threats to these creatures include being caught in the nets and fishing lines designed to catch other species, loss of beach habitats due to coastal development, illegal egg harvesting and hunting, and being run over by boats and other vessels and plastic pollution.
Green sea turtles often eat plastic floating in the ocean, thinking it’s food, which often includes fishing line, balloons and plastic bags, and fill it up so they can’t eat real food, or poison it.
They can also get caught in this plastic pollution, causing them to drown or having trouble staying submerged in ocean currents.
However, X-ray scans of the Adelaide tortoise revealed the tortoise had no plastics, hooks or fishing line in its system, so something else was causing the tortoise to vomit up the odd pink liquid.
Further testing will help the vet determine what is wrong, whether the creature can be saved, or if it should be taken to a nearby zoo.
“The blood tests indicate whether there is anemia or sepsis,” WWO wrote in the Facebook post. If everything is clear, the turtle will be transported to the zoo tomorrow. It’s been a long day for the WWO team, Justin, Cheryl, Tess and Jackie, but they wouldn’t have missed it for the world. What a privilege.”
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