The world’s plastic problem is often considered one of the biggest ecological disasters. Nearly a billion pounds of plastic make their way into our oceans each year with an estimated 15-21 trillion pieces of plastic currently floating about and polluting the sea.
Thousands of seabirds, seals and sea turtles are killed each year after ingesting plastic and getting entangled in it. The dangers of plastic in our oceans have been well documented, but nothing as eye-opening as a young turtle who was rescued by the Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia.
According to the Zoo’s Twitter page, the adorable turtle pooped plastic for six days. Veterinary nurse, Sarah Male, explained that the turtle had been rescued from a nearby beach with a back flipper “chomped” off.
However, when the turtle started defaecating, he “defaecated six days of plastic. No faeces came out, just pure plastic,” she said.
Thankfully, he has now purged all the plastic from his system.
Ingestion of plastics and fishing lines are just a few common problems the zoo comes across when rescuing these sea critters, a serious problem that is also being tackled by the Two Oceans Aquarium and its incredible sea turtle conservation programme.
This tiny turtle arrived at Taronga Wildlife Hospital recently with a stomach full of plastic. We hope the NSW Plastic Action Plan will reduce the number of turtles admitted to us in the future. To support the vital work of our hospitals, please visit https://t.co/QCMerPsjYb pic.twitter.com/lJ92Ceu2jr
— Taronga Zoo (@tarongazoo) July 28, 2022
The programme actively rescues, rehabilitates and releases stranded and distressed sea turtles along the Western Cape’s coast.
It takes around R30 per day to rehabilitate the average turtle, so if you’re feeling the pull to help out one of these adorable creatures, head to the Aquarium’s website and donate!
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Picture: Pinterest