Green Turtle Makes 215km Dash By Taxi To Seek Treatment In Kk

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WRU manager Sen Nathan (second from right) and Gaya Island Resort marine centre biologist Scott Mayback (second from left) discussing what to do to save the turtle.KOTA KINABALU: A sick green sea turtle was rushed to the “turtle clinic” on Gaya Island near here today, after making a 215km trip by taxi from Simpang Mengayau in Kudat
On hand to meet the turtle here was Sabah Wildlife Department’s Wildlife Rescue Unit (WRU) manager Dr Sen Nathan and his team
They immediately transferred the turtle onto a waiting speedboat to be brought to the YTL Gaya Island Resort marine centre
According to Sen, he was contacted by the Kudat Turtle Conservation Society at 8 last night stating that the turtle had been seen floating at Simpang Mengayau
It was later decided that the turtle should be brought to the turtle centre in Gaya Island for examination
The resort owners agreed among themselves to foot the RM350 taxi fare to send the turtle to Kota Kinabalu
The turtle set off from Simpang Mengayau to Kota Kinabalu, accompanied by an honorary wildlife warden at around 9am and arrived in the city at 12.30pm
The turtle, estimated to be about 18 years old and weighing 19kg, looked weak and was diagnosed to be moderately dehydrated
“It seems to be suffering from a floater syndrome due to gas accumulation in the abdomen area. It was unable to dive when put inside the saltwater tank at the turtle centre
Marine biologist Scott Mayback watching the green turtle floating in a tank at the YTL Gaya Island Resort marine centre.“We are stabilising and feeding it now. We will put it into a fresh water tank to help with the dehydration,” he said
Sen said the journey may have caused some stress to the turtle and medical intervention to reduce the gas accumulation will only be done tomorrow, after it has rested for at least a night
Unfortunately, he said the rate of deaths among turtles with the floater syndrome is high
Scott Mayback, marine biologist at the marine centre, said the turtle may have been suffering from the floater syndrome for at least a month, judging by the formation of barnacles on its flippers and algae on its shell
He said turtles with this condition will lose their ability to dive over time and will only be able to float
“This condition can last three months before they starve to death or, most likely, are hit by boats at sea,” he said
Mayback said the turtle’s chances of survival are below 50% at the moment because of its critical condition
“But it seems to have a strong will to survive. We must act fast or that chance will be lost. Unfortunately, even if we do everything right, in some cases, it is too late
“The intestinal tract may be jammed up, like what we have seen in the past
“It is just a sad condition of our oceans now and this is happening to our turtles. They have been around for 250 million years but they can be gone easily in our lifetime. Hopefully, that doesn’t happen.”
The green sea turtle is classified as an endangered species and is protected in Sabah. - FMT

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