Turtles need help -- fast
The Department of Conservation is urging people who find sea turtle washed up on a beach to call its 24-hour hotline without delay, after two endangered green turtles were found in the Far North beaches, the second at Henderson Bay.
DOC spokeswoman Abigail Monteith said the tropical creatures were occasionally seen in New Zealand waters, but only came ashore if something was wrong.
Beached turtles often needed help, and should not be returned to the water. Finders should call the DoC hotline (0800 DOC HOT) and stay with the turtle, or, if that wasn’t possible, carefully take it with them and arrange for it to be collected by a ranger.
Turtles did not have to be kept wet but should be kept at room temperature and sheltered from the wind.
One of the two Far North turtles had died, and would be examined to establish the cause of death.
Sick turtles were usually flown to Auckland for emergency care at Auckland Zoo before undergoing rehabilitation at Kelly Tarlton’s, and eventually being returned to the sea.