TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — An endangered leatherback sea turtle died a day after it was rescued from a net on New Taipei City’s Fulong Beach, reports said Thursday (Feb. 3).
The rare animal was found by the public on the beach Tuesday morning (Feb. 1). A team that included rescue workers from the Ocean Conservation Administration (OCA) disentangled the turtle and moved it to National Taiwan Ocean University for a health checks.
However, the animal was found dead in its pool at the facility Wednesday (Feb. 2) at 11 a.m. even though earlier it had been observed floating and diving without difficulty, CNA reported. An autopsy conducted overnight found the turtle might have choked on water, and fine grains of sand were found inside its digestive tract, but the OCA said the precise cause of death has yet to be determined.
According to those who participated in the rescue in Fulong, the turtle was severely injured by a discarded fishing net. The wounds on the reptile's tail and rear flippers were deep, and even after it was freed, it looked weak.