Critically ill black turtle found stranded at Auckland beach slowly recovering

Sunday, 7 June 2020

A large black turtle found stranded on Takapuna beach is showing signs of recovery.

A turtle found washed up and critically ill at an Auckland beach is showing signs of recovery.

The large black turtle was found collapsed and dehydrated on Takapuna Beach on the North Shore on May 27.

It was taken to Auckland Zoo by the Department of Conservation, where it was established it had a very low body temperature and had suffered a wound to its shell.

Zoo veterinary nurse Celine Campana told Stuff the turtle was subdued, quiet and motionless upon arrival at the zoo, but had since become 'more lively'.

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The turtle, being seen to here by Auckland Zoo vet nurse Celine Campana (left) and senior vet An Pas, has shown signs of recovery after being given intravenous fluids and liquid food via a tube into its stomach.

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'It's in a better shape than we it was found on the beach,' she said.

The 26 kilogram turtle was found with a temperature of 16 degrees Celsius, well below its normal 24-degree body temperature.

The turtle was found cold and critically ill when it was found washed up on Takapuna Beach.

It's not known what caused the wound on the turtle's shell, but it's unlikely it occurred within its natural habitat due to the linear nature of the lesion.

Head of vet services Dr James Chatterton previously told Stuff the turtle was 'a very long way from home', as the species usually live near Costa Rica and the Galapagos Islands.

'It doesn't look like a significant enough injury to have caused this turtle to have come so far away, it's still a little bit of a mystery,' Campana said.

Vet Dr Stefan Saverimuttu treats the turtle not long after it arrived at Auckland Zoo on May 27.

The turtle has been put into a tank of water to allow it to swim, and zoo staff slowly crept up the turtle's water temperature to be 'much more normal', Campana said.

Staff were continuing to provide the turtle with intravenous fluids and liquid food via a tube into its stomach.

The turtle's gender is yet to be established, and it would not be given a name until veterinary staff were more confident with its outlook.

Due to their slow metabolism, reptiles respond to treatment slowly and die a slower death, she said.

'It's a guarded prognosis. We're pleasantly surprised with how its gone to far, but it's very much early days yet.'

The turtle will be taken to Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium for rehabilitation once its condition stabilises. It is hoped the turtle will eventually be released back into the sea.

The black turtle is a variant of the green turtle, which lives part of its life around the northern North Island. According to DOC, they are regularly seen around the Rangaunu Harbour and Poor Knights Island.

The species is classified as endangered, with populations on the decline due to overharvesting by people and plastic bag pollution.

Anyone who comes across an injured or stranded turtle should not try to move it and should phone the Department of Conservation on 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).