Texas: 4000 turtles saved from cold

Teile:
18.02.2021 19:27
Kategorie: News

Volunteers rescue hypothermic turtles

Turtles are not protected from freezing even by their thick shells. More than 4000 sea turtles have now been rescued from the Gulf of Mexico and taken to a convention center to warm up.

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Temperatures as low as 25 degrees °F and snowfall have caused massive problems in the southern regions of the US. In Texas, thousands of sea turtles are now in need of human assistance due to these temperatures.

In the south of the US state, more than 4000 turtles have been rescued from the severely chilled waters in the Gulf of México in recent days. They were temporarily housed in a convention center and spread out on plastic sheets in rooms and hallways. The Sea Turtle Inc organization, which works to protect sea turtles in the region, launched the rescue effort.

"A sea turtle in this condition would drown in even a small amount of water," Wendy Knight, director of the charity, told The New York Times.

The turtles are currently still in a kind of torpor, in which they do not move until they are warmed up again. This state can last for several days. As soon as the water has warmed up again, the animals are to be released.