November 21, 2007
OTARU, Hokkaido -- A green sea turtle that was found on the shore of a village in Hokkaido is being treated for injuries at an aquarium here and is making a recovery, local officials said.
The turtle, which weighs 4.8 kilograms, is estimated to be between 1 and 2 years old. It is missing one of its front flippers.
Green sea turtles are distributed over tropical and subtropical areas, and it is extremely unusual for one to turn up in Hokkaido. Officials suspect it drifted into the area on a sea current.
The turtle was found on the shore of the village of Shosanbetsu in Hokkaido on Oct. 15. It was later taken to an aquarium that had experience in looking after sea turtles, and a team of six people spent a week looking after it, putting it in a heated room and giving it an intravenous drip and antibiotics. It was later moved to a heated pool and has recovered to the extent that it is able to eat by itself.
Officials said the sea turtle, which they named Taro despite not knowing whether it was a male or female, is now receiving antiseptic treatment for scratches on its head and right arm. The cause of its injuries is unclear, but officials said it could have been attacked by a predator or got caught up in the propeller of a boat.
While the turtle is recovering, its wounds are still threatened by bacteria, officials said.
"Even if all goes well, we'll have to keep an eye on it until next spring," a 40-year-old veterinarian at Otaru Aquarium said.
It has not yet been decided whether to keep the turtle in the aquarium or return it to nature when it fully recovers.
Caption: The green sea turtle Taro is pictured at Otaru Aquarium in Hokkaido on Tuesday.
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OTARU, Hokkaido -- A green sea turtle that was found on the shore of a village in Hokkaido is being treated for injuries at an aquarium here and is making a recovery, local officials said.
The turtle, which weighs 4.8 kilograms, is estimated to be between 1 and 2 years old. It is missing one of its front flippers.
Green sea turtles are distributed over tropical and subtropical areas, and it is extremely unusual for one to turn up in Hokkaido. Officials suspect it drifted into the area on a sea current.
The turtle was found on the shore of the village of Shosanbetsu in Hokkaido on Oct. 15. It was later taken to an aquarium that had experience in looking after sea turtles, and a team of six people spent a week looking after it, putting it in a heated room and giving it an intravenous drip and antibiotics. It was later moved to a heated pool and has recovered to the extent that it is able to eat by itself.
Officials said the sea turtle, which they named Taro despite not knowing whether it was a male or female, is now receiving antiseptic treatment for scratches on its head and right arm. The cause of its injuries is unclear, but officials said it could have been attacked by a predator or got caught up in the propeller of a boat.
While the turtle is recovering, its wounds are still threatened by bacteria, officials said.
"Even if all goes well, we'll have to keep an eye on it until next spring," a 40-year-old veterinarian at Otaru Aquarium said.
It has not yet been decided whether to keep the turtle in the aquarium or return it to nature when it fully recovers.
Caption: The green sea turtle Taro is pictured at Otaru Aquarium in Hokkaido on Tuesday.
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