Australia Zoo Save the Life of a Vulnerable Sea Turtle

Posted By : The Animal Facts Editorial Team

Date: January 4, 2022 10:35 pm

Lady Trev the green sea turtle is seen in a pool during her recovery at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital

Photo Credit: Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors

The Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital have have helped to save the life of a green sea turtle found tangled in a crab pot on a Queensland beach. Named Lady Trev by carers she was taken to the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital at Beerwah for an examination and treatment.

Dr. Ludo Valenza, Hospital Supervisor and Veterinarian at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital discussed the circumstances surrounding Lady Trev when she was first found.

“The Australia Zoo Rescue Unit carried Lady Trev, who weighs 80 kilograms, for almost a kilometre in mudflats, bringing her for a health assessment to the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital,” Dr. Valenza said.

“Lady Trev had a full thickness constriction on her left fore flipper that extended to the bone. The trauma was very severe as the flipper was no longer functional, and the only way to save her life was to amputate the flipper,” she said.

It took 10 hours for the team to prepare for and perform the surgery to remove her flipper. The highly specialized team were then able to successfully complete this treatment.

“Lady Trev has been recovering splendidly since her surgery, and was transferred from an Intensive Care Pool to a much larger pool within the Turtle Rehabilitation Centre,” Dr. Valenza said.

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“The sea turtle will remain in our care for the next few months so that we can continue to monitor her, and ensure that she progresses the way she needs to before she is released back into the ocean where she belongs,” she said.

Many of the threats to sea turtles can be avoided through humans modifying their behavior. This includes discarding of fishing gear appropriately and maintaining the correct speed limit when on the water.

Terri Irwin, Founder of Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors, is delighted with Lady Trev’s recovery at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital.

“It is incredible to see Lady Trev receive the treatment and care she needs from our experienced team at the Wildlife Hospital, so that one day she fully recovers from her wound and is released back into her natural habitat,” said Terri Irwin.

“With the important work of Wildlife Warriors, we continue to support conservation projects not just in Australia, but across the world. Saving the lives of animals like Lady Trev takes us one step closer towards achieving Steve’s important mission of wildlife conservation,” she said.

Since the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital opened in 2004 they have provided treatment to 1500 sea turtles.

Learn more about Green Sea Turtle here – Green Sea Turtle Fact File | The Animal Facts

Learn more about Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors on their website – Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors