Mumbai: Taraporewala aquarium's lone turtle recovering

Condition of the severely sick green sea turtle from Mumbai's Taraporewala aquarium remains critical even as two weeks have passed since it was shifted to the turtle rescue centre run by Wildlife Conservation and Animal Welfare Association (WCAWA) at Dahanu.

DNA on June 12, had reported on the death of two turtles – one green sea and another a hawksbill. The turtles of the aquarium died in a week's time after contracting stomach ailments, while the third one, who was critical, was shifted to Dahanu on June 6.

Dr Dinesh Vinherkar, wildlife veterinarian and turtle expert associated with WCAWA and treating the female turtle informed that they have managed to maintain her condition without letting it deteriorate further in the last two weeks.

"Like the other two dead turtles this one is suffering from enteritis and was so critical that she was motionless when brought to the centre but now we have stabilised her. She is still unable to digest the food and has even stopped eating on her own and hence we have been hand feeding her," he said adding that the turtle has been kept in an isolation tank in sea water that is filtered.

Vinherkar said that the biggest challenge they faced was that this turtle was not used to eating greens and plants, which is its natural diet and hence it used to spit it out.

"Volunteers from WCAWA have been collecting sea grasses during low tide and bringing it to hand feed her along with other food items after observing its digestion pattern," he said. He also informed that food supportive fluid therapy along with antibiotics and supplements to take care of diarrhea, is also being continued.