A baby sea turtle defecates “pure plastic” for 6 days after being rescued (VIDEO)

Published:

Jul 30, 2022 12:54 GMT

According to experts, the animal was lucky that the pieces of contaminant did not cause a fatal intestinal injury.

Marine pollution by plastic waste is a serious problem that endangers the ecosystem balance and the life of a large number of species. This is the case of a rescued green turtle hatchling on a beach in Sydney, Australia, who ingested such amounts of plastic that it took six days to excrete it completely, according to the Taronga Zoo wildlife hospital.

According to the veterinary center, when the turtle was found lying on its back near a beach, it was missing one rear flipper and had an injury to the other, as well as a hole in its shell. Despite this, she appeared to be in good shape and had no trouble swimming.

However, while he was under observation, the keepers noticed that his stools were not normal. “She started defecating plastic for six days. It wasn’t feces, it was just plastic,” said Sarah Male, a veterinary nurse at the zoo. “We were very lucky that she didn’t cause an obstruction. [intestinal].

The animal has improved its health since it began receiving medical care and is expected to remain under the care of the center for about a year before being released into the sea.

The expert pointed out that the center treats dozens of sea turtles annually, mainly for cases related to the ingestion of plastics, as well as for injuries caused by pollutants and fishing equipment.

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