Sea turtle fights for life at zoo
An endangered tropical sea turtle has only a 50 per cent chance of survival after washing up in the frigid winter waters of Wellington’s Lyall Bay.
The 25-kilogram Olive Ridley turtle was suffering from hypothermia, dehydration and had a badly cracked shell when found on the beach on Friday night. Wellington Zoo’s The Nest clinic was nursing the turtle back to health, but its prognosis was still ‘‘guarded’’, vet Lisa Argilla said.
‘‘He still has a probability that he might not make it.’’
The only way staff could tell the turtle was alive on Saturday was by touching its eyes, which moved in response. Yesterday it lifted its head occasionally, reacting most when stuck with needles. ‘‘He was protesting a little bit when I was taking blood. I used the smallest needle I could but everyone is a bit scared of needles.’’
Argilla and her staff kept the turtle warm and wet in a paddling pool overnight, fearing it would develop pneumonia and damage to its organs. On Saturday its temperature was too low to register, but it had reached a healthy 27 degrees yesterday.
X-rays showed the turtle had reasonably healthy lungs, but its cracked shell meant exposed bone was at risk of infection. It was given antibiotics and an electrolyte drip.
Olive Ridley turtles were usually found in tropical or subtropical waters and this one might have been caught in a strong current from the Caribbean, Argilla said. ‘‘If you’re from the Caribbean, why would you come to this cold southerly place?’’
The turtle was 10 to 15 kilograms underweight for an adult so was likely to be a young specimen, Argilla said.
Only a few Olive Ridley turtles have ever been reported washed up in New Zealand. Argilla used Google and an old vet manual for a treatment plan. ‘‘I didn’t ever think I’d need the sea turtle husbandry manual, but I’m glad I had one.’’
Wellington Zoo was in talks with Kelly Tarlton aquarium in Auckland to care for the turtle when it was well enough to travel.
Breaker Bay woman Bev Hong and her son Isaac Leniston-Hong, 12, saw the turtle at Lyall Bay beach on Friday night.
‘‘It was really cold. I was thinking ‘you’re in the wrong place, buddy’. It was an amazing, gorgeous creature.’’