SANIBEL, Fla. — A team from CROW, the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife, released two female loggerhead sea turtles into the water on Sanibel.
One turtle came to Bonita Springs on April 8. She was found floating with more than two feet of monofilament line hanging on her backside. In addition, the turtle underwent surgery to remove a fishing hook that had pierced her gastrointestinal tract. She still had buoyancy issues, so the turtle underwent another surgery to suction out the extra air in her system.
The other turtle came into Everglades City on April 28. She was found floating with deformities. She had multiple scrapes and cuts all over her body and a lot of algae and barnacle growth on her shell. The turtle also had pneumonia and extra gas in her system that made her have buoyancy issues.
The first turtle spent 54 days in care and the second spent 34 days. They were cleared for release last week.
If you find an animal in distress, contact FWC at 888-404-3922 or the Clinic for the Rehabilitation for Wildlife (CROW) at 239-472-3644 ext. #222.
