Endangered Species: 31kg turtle seen struggling on rocks with injuries on forelimbs
A massive 31kg Olive Ridley Turtle with several injuries and a fishing line attached to a hook stuck in its gastrointestinal tract was rescued from the Versova beach on Monday evening.
Rohan Kotwalkar, a Versova resident and an active member of the Versova beach clean-up drive said that local volunteers informed him about the turtle. It was found stuck amidst rocks near the Chai-coffi lane. “I alerted the Mangrove Cell officials, as well as Wildlife Veterinary surgeon Dr Rina Dev, who sent her team member to check on the turtle,” Kotwalkar said.
The turtle was soon rushed to Dr Dev's clinic with a two-feet-long nylon fishing line hanging from its anus.“The turtle was brought to my clinic at around 6.30pm and I was shocked to see its huge size. There were several injuries on its forelimbs. These seem to be recent cuts caused due to strangling in abandoned fishing nets,” said Dev adding that they were taken aback to spot the two-feet-long single nylon line hanging out of its anus.
While Dev quickly started initial treatment to stabilise the turtle and treat the wounds with necessary medication, it was also sent for an X-ray to find out how much of the nylon line was stuck in its gut. “Since it was a fishing line we decided against simply pulling it out as we wanted to be sure there was no hook. Our worst fears came true after seeing the X-Ray as there was a hook stuck in the turtle's pectoral area,” she said.
Given that the turtle is already under severe stress and trauma due to its injuries, Dr Dev said they will first stabilise the turtle. It is currently too weak and in shock to be operated on. “We cannot simply operate until the turtle is ready.
(X-ray report shows the line is connected to a hook which is stuck in the turtle’s pectoral area)
The hook will be removed by carrying out an endoscopy and the decision on its surgery will be taken once its conditions are stable for surgery,” she said.
Marine life experts said that the number of marine species affected directly and indirectly by marine litter was only increasing and abandoned ghost nets were proving to be lethal for marine life, especially turtles.
Dr Vinay Deshmukh, Former principal scientist at the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) said that Olive Ridley Turtles are known to eat seaweeds and seagrasses and at times, are known to ingest abandoned fishing lines. “The turtles, when hungry, simply grab at anything they spot and most of the time, are extremely vulnerable to ingesting litter, which can even cause death. Marine litter is a worldwide issue and given the fact that oceans are full of trash, marine life is at a huge risk and hence, every country will have to take actions to tackle this issue,” he said.
The endangered Olive Ridley turtles are categorised as 'vulnerable' on the IUCN's list of threatened species and are washed ashore often after being injured.
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 "Olive Ridley Turtle")
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