It pooped plastic: rescued sea turtles return to ocean in Argentina after detox

January 07, 2023 05:29 AM AEDT | By Reuters
Follow us on Google News:
Image source: Reuters


By Horacio Soria

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Marine biologists in Argentina have returned two green turtles to the ocean who were rescued after they became entangled in fishing nets, with one of the pair of endangered creatures excreting plastic ingested from the sea.

The turtles spent a month in animal rehab at the Fundación Mundo Marino where scientists checked their swimming, helped with their diet and gave them a chance to detox from plastics. They were returned to the sea on the beaches of San Clemente.

"The turtles arrived, they were put in pools and their swimming was measured to check it was normal," said Vanesa Traverso, a biologist at the foundation.

"They are herbivorous so we fed them algae and one of them began to defecate plastic, luckily it wasn't too much. Some 96% of the turtles that enter the center defecate plastic."

The green sea turtles, classified as endangered, underwent blood tests and even X-rays to check their digestive tracts and lungs. Some previous ones had come to the center and excreted up to 22 grams of garbage that had been ingested.

"One of them had a high level of white blood cells and some parameters that indicated a slight degree of anemia," said Bianca Mancini, a veterinarian at the foundation. "We treated it with a mix of antibiotics, a vitamin complex and iron."

(Reporting by Horacio Soria; Writing by Adam Jourdan; editing by Diane Craft)


Disclaimer

The above content is directly sourced from Reuters under a contractual arrangement. The content is being provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only; and does not constitute an endorsement or approval by Kalkine Media of any of the products, services, or opinions of the organization or individual. The user is apprised that Kalkine Media bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality, or content of Reuters, any external sites, or for that of subsequent links. The user is requested to contact Reuters directly for answers to questions regarding the content. Please note that Kalkine Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.



Top ASX Listed Companies

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. OK