Latest news with #BetteZirkelbach
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘Addie' the sea turtle released after months of rehab
MARATHON, Fla. – A resilient sea turtle and a crowd of spectators in the Florida Keys made Earth Day a special event in the Sunshine State. Video taken from the middle keys showed Addie, a green sea turtle, crawling through the white Florida sand, before entering the warm ocean water. But Addie's return to the wild was nothing short of a miracle, because when she was first admitted to the Florida Keys' Turtle Hospital in August, her prognosis was doubtful. The juvenile turtle was said to be suffering from a severe injury caused by a fishing hook and was covered in fibropapilloma tumors. According to staff at the animal hospital, Addie underwent an extensive surgery process to remove the metal and tumors but encountered additional complications. Following months of physical therapy and being fed through a tube, she began to quickly recover. "People want to do good things. And caring for sea turtles gives them something to care about," said Bette Zirkelbach, the hospital's manager. Florida Identifies Next Invasive Species Threat Hospital staff closely monitored Addie's progress over several months, and once she was considered to be strong enough to survive on her own, they determined the turtle was ready to be returned to the wild. The sea turtle's release coincided with Earth Day, an international event dedicated to raising awareness about the environment and promoting conservation efforts. The special day served as a fitting backdrop for the animal's return, especially as the green sea turtle population faces mounting threats from habitat loss, rising ocean temperatures, pollution and entanglements in fish gear. Manatees May Be Recent Arrivals To Florida, Study Suggests According to the World Wildlife Fund, green turtles are considered to be endangered because of loss of eggs and entanglement in fishing gear. In the U.S., the species is primarily found from North Carolina to Florida, around Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. According to the National Park Service, female green sea turtles generally nest during the summer, with peak season occurring in June and July. The Florida Keys' Turtle Hospital has been rescuing and rehabilitating sea turtles since 1986 and has returned thousands of reptiles back to the article source: 'Addie' the sea turtle released after months of rehab
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Florida Keys symbolic release of sea turtle heralds Earth Day
April 22 (UPI) -- Hundreds arrived at Marathon, Fla., to witness the release of a rehabilitated sea turtle named Addie into the Atlantic Ocean during the Florida Keys Earth Day celebration Tuesday morning. Addie was found in August and taken to The Turtle Hospital in Marathon while near death, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported. She was afflicted with fibropapilloma tumors and had a large fishhook embedded in her esophagus when she arrived at the hospital that specializes in treating sea turtles. Addie died several times but was brought back to life three times during her stay at the hospital and eventually recovered. Turtle Hospital manager Bette Zirkelbach on Monday thanked the small non-profit's supporters for their "healing energies for Addie!" in a Facebook post announcing Addie's release to celebrate Earth Day. "Addie's journey in rehab was a long one," Zirkelbach said. "With the help of our incredibly dedicated animal care team, she beat the odds and is returning to her ocean home tomorrow, on Earth Day." Addie was released back into the ocean at Sombrero Beach in Marathon at 10 a.m. Six of the world's seven species of sea turtles are listed as threatened or endangered, according to SEE Turtles. Sea Turtles face many dangers, including being caught in fishing nets, becoming entangled in debris and swallowing pieces of discarded plastic that wind up in the world's oceans, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Fisheries division. People can protect sea turtles by participating in coastal cleanups and reducing the use of plastics that could wind up in the water or litter beaches, NOAA Fisheries says. People also should avoid releasing balloons that could end up in the ocean waters, where sea turtles might confuse them for prey and swallow them. Nesting beaches should be protected and kept safe for sea turtles by turning off or shielding lights from the nesting areas that could disorient hatchlings or discourage females from nesting. Any nesting sea turtles, hatchlings and nests also should be left alone, and organizing sea turtle watches can help ensure they have safe nesting areas to reproduce. People also should remove chairs and umbrellas at night and knock down any sand castles and fill in any holes they might make during the daytime to prevent blocking sea turtles from their preferred nesting areas. Boaters also are advised to go slowly through near-shore waters, bays and sounds to avoid hitting sea turtles as they surface for air. Boaters also should remove their boats from nesting areas on beaches to enable easy access for sea turtles.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Earth Day Sea Turtle Release Draws Hundreds to Florida Keys Beach
Hundreds of spectators made their way to Marathon, Florida, on Tuesday, April 22, to celebrate a sea turtle release in honor of Earth Day. In footage filmed by the Florida Keys News Bureau, spectators can be seen erupting in cheers as a rehabilitated sea turtle named Addie made her way into the Atlantic Ocean. According to a statement, hospital manager Bette Zirkelbach said Addie had been rehabilitating at the Florida Keys Turtle Hospital since August 2024 after she was found covered in fibropapilloma tumors and with a fish hook embedded in her esophagus. A report from the Florida Keys News Bureau said Addie wasn't expected to survive but was brought back to life three different times during her stay at the Florida Keys Turtle Hospital ahead of her heartwarming release back into the ocean at Sombrero Beach in Marathon. 'People want to do good things. And caring for sea turtles gives them something to care about,' Zirkelbach said. Credit: Florida Keys News Bureau via Storyful I'm telling you, just, I was watching those videos with the PT. You had so much patience with everything with her. Oh my goodness, that you go straight. OK, ready? It's gonna go that way. And there she goes It's coming up right now. Good job. Yeah, I that makes you wanna cry. I am crying. I got. Let's um just slide her into the shade. There we go. And she took a long time to get better. She's been at the Turtle Hospital for 9 months. Is that amazing? Thank you guys for being here. Addie, she's a juvenile green sea turtle. to come with us. Hi To me it looks like your system is fine. Looks to me like her system is fighting the. It's winning. Addie's a juvenile green sea turtle has been rehabilitating at the turtle Hospital since August of last year. She had a fishing hook deeply embedded in her esophagus. She was covered in fiber papilloma tumors. There were hundreds of people here at the beach. The compassion is contagious. People want to do good things and caring for sea turtles gives them something to care about.
