Lack of care or neglected?: Rescued sea turtle dies after a week

PANGLAO, BOHOL, Philippines — An endangered sea turtle which has been rescued a week ago off barangay Doljo of this town died yesterday (June 21), according to marine biologist Kristina Pahang of the Physalus, a non-government organization working for research on marine mammals in Bohol seas.

A necropsy was done on the turtle to determine its cause of death and for documentation, said Coastal Marine Service OIC Basilides Orioque of the Tagbilaran Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO), in separate interview yesterday.

Residents here, who helped keep the turtle alive for days, however, attributed its death to neglect while other agencies cited the lack of facilities had contributed to its death.

Orioque admitted that the CENRO lacked the necessary facility to treat stranding of either marine mammal or reptile. This must be looked into because even the DENR has no expertise on this (treatment for sick reptile, which is the very concern of the agency), she said.

The provincial veterinarian office had tried to save the turtle by applying anti-biotics, but it remained weak due to yet unknown causes, and looked dehydrated due to no food intake for days since it was rescued. They tried to feed the turtle with squid but failed because it was not responding.

Yesterday, island-vendor Perry Clenista and other fishermen, while on a motorized banca from Virgin Island, found the turtle floating but it was neither swimming not moving at all.

The Freeman, during a visit to Barangay Doljo of this town, learned that the sea turtle weighed about 25 kilos with its carapace colored green. It had no wound and no mark of harm. (FREEMAN)