Turtle Hospital staff, based in the keys of Floridahe returned to the sea on Monday from the Marathon beaches, to a rehabilitated marine turtle, within the framework of the celebration of the celebration of the Earth Day.
During the release, hundreds of spectators, especially children, crowded the beach and exploded in cheers when the turtle ‘Addie’ was heading to the Atlantic Ocean for a new beginning, as seen in a video.
“Addie is a young green turtle that has been rehabilitated at the Turtle Hospital since August last year. He had a fishing hook deeply embedded in the esophagus and was covered with fibropapiloma tumors”indicated the hospital director, Bette Zirkelbach.
The turtle, who was not expected to survive, did not have a very promising prognosis, especially due to fibropapilomatosis, a viral disease that affects sea turtles worldwide, indicates a statement from the press office of the Florida Cays.
After surgery, ‘Addie’ had difficulty raising his head, which required a one -month stay in a specialized shower stretcher for physiotherapy.
The medical staff fed her by probe twice a day for two months and during her rehabilitation, ‘Addie’ was resuscitated three times, which makes her successful recovery particularly notable.
Zirkelbach thanked that the release of this turtle coincided with Earth Day because, which according to her, offers a platform to educate others.
Therefore, before liberating ‘Addie’ again to the ocean, the children had the opportunity to learn from Zirkelbach about the need to protect the earth and its ecosystems.
“People want to do good things and take care of sea turtles gives them something to worry about”Said the hospital director.
The Turtle Hospital (Tortugas Hospital), opened in 1986, is the first state license veterinary hospital in the world dedicated exclusively to the rehabilitation of in danger of extinction.
During the last 39 years, the installation has rescued, rehabilitated and returned turtles to its natural habitat, contributing significantly to conservation efforts in Florida keys.