Turtle tangled in fishing line dies
The turtle, affectionately named North, did not survive the surgery that was needed to save her life.
THERE is a sombre mood at uShaka Sea World today, following the tragic death of a severely injured loggerhead turtle, who had become entangled in fishing line and developed gangrene in her left flipper.
The staff attempted to save the “severely compromised” reptile, however, Ann Kunz, spokesperson for the South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR), confirmed this morning that the female turtle “did not survive the night”.
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The turtle, who was named North, was found along the breakwaters off North Beach on Tuesday morning, in desperate need of medical attention. A team from Durban Metro Search and Rescue and Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife rescued North and rushed her to uShaka.
She was “very malnourished” and its suspected that she had gone for weeks without a proper sustenance, said Kunz.
“Due to her entangled flipper she would have had great difficulty fighting the currents and feeding herself,” added a hearbroken Kunz.
At the facility uShaka Sea World veterinarian, Dr Francois Lampen determined that the only recourse would be amputation.
Yesterday North had undergone the desperately needed surgery, however, died throughout the course of the night.
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At the time Lampen stated that due to the severity of her injuries the “likelihood of the animal dying was very high”.
“We hoped that she would have been strong enough to survive such an invasive surgery, sadly she too compromised,” said Kunz.
Following the tragedy, the staff have once again appealed to all South Africans to use and discard fishing lines, plastic and other waste responsibly.
“Spare a thought for North and her friends, so when you see discarded fishing lines or any other waste lying on the beach pick it up. This could prevent similar injuries or death,” said Kunz.
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