Latest news with #InwaterResearchGroup
CBC
4 days ago
- General
- CBC
Vets find surprise while trying to save endangered turtle hit by boat
Turns out Pennywise the sea turtle was carrying eggs A group of conservationists has reason to celebrate after rescuing an endangered sea turtle and finding out they may have saved even more turtles in the process. On May 19, conservationists from Inwater Research Group found a floating loggerhead sea turtle off Florida's Atlantic coast with significant blunt force trauma to her shell. The conservationists took the turtle to veterinarians at Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, Florida, where they began treating the reptile. Loggerhead Marine Centre is a non-profit conservation organization. The vets suspected the turtle — which they named Pennywise — was hit by a boat. Unfortunately, they hit a snag. To assess the extent of Pennywise's injuries, they wanted to put her into a computed tomography (CT) scanner, which uses X-rays to help health-care workers take photos of the inside of her body. WATCH — Female sea turtles are outnumbering males in Florida But at 137 kilograms (302 pounds), Pennywise was too big for their machine. The veterinary team took her to a nearby hospital to see if she could fit inside a CT machine meant for humans, but she was too big for that as well. Next, they took her to a horse hospital to use its CT machine and — thankfully — Pennywise fit. The imaging showed some damage to bones that surround the spinal cord. The vets put the turtle on special antibiotics to help her heal. 'Luckily, right now, her neurologic exam shows that all those nerves are intact. And that is a great sign for her,' Heather Barron, the chief science officer and veterinarian at Loggerhead, told The Associated Press. But the results from the CT scan weren't all bad. Turns out Pennywise is carrying eggs. 'We hope we'll be able to get her back out there into the wild as soon as possible so that she can lay those eggs,' Barron said. The centre will continue to monitor Pennywise to make sure her injuries don't get worse, Barron said, and as soon as her wounds are healed enough, they'll put her back into the wild.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
A 302-pound loggerhead sea turtle hit by a boat gets an oversize CT scan, with a surprise
JUNO BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A massive loggerhead sea turtle hit by a boat off Florida's Atlantic coast arrived at a turtle hospital needing medical care, but at 302 pounds (137 kilograms), Pennywise was too large to fit their equipment. So the veterinary team at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach took her to nearby Jupiter Medical Center, hoping she could get a CT scan on a human machine. She was too big for that, as well. They quickly came up with another plan: taking Pennywise to Palm Beach Equine Clinic in Wellington, where the scan was performed on equipment designed for horses. 'And, luckily, the horse-sized machine was big enough to fit this lady through," Heather Barron, the chief science officer and veterinarian at Loggerhead, told The Associated Press. Turns out, they also got a nice surprise: Images showed that Pennywise is carrying eggs. 'We hope we'll be able to get her back out there into the wild as soon as possible so that she can lay those eggs," Barron said. Loggerheads, an endangered species, often lay multiple clutches during a season, she said. Pennywise arrived at the center Monday, after a crew from Inwater Research Group found her floating in the Atlantic with significant blunt force trauma to her shell that had already started to heal. The staff at the Juno Beach turtle center estimated that Pennywise's injuries were about a month old. Barron said the imaging showed some damage to bones that surround the spinal cord. They have the turtle on high-powered antibiotics. "Luckily, right now, her neurologic exam shows that all those nerves are intact. And that is a great sign for her. We're very excited about that and we'll just be rechecking to make sure that we have no progression of the disease, and as soon as we feel like that wound is healed well enough, she can go back out into the wild.' Even so, Barron said, Pennywise's story is a 'textbook case of a turtle returning to the area for mating and nesting season, only to fall victim to an entirely preventable boat-strike injury.' Because nesting season in Florida runs from March 1 to Oct. 31, officials at the sea turtle center are encouraging boaters to slow down and to be especially mindful in what they refer to as the Sea Turtle Protection Zone, which extends a mile (1.6 kilometers) off the coast. ___ Frisaro reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Cody Jackson And Freida Frisaro, The Associated Press
Associated Press
25-05-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
A 302-pound loggerhead sea turtle hit by a boat gets an oversize CT scan, with a surprise
JUNO BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A massive loggerhead sea turtle hit by a boat off Florida's Atlantic coast arrived at a turtle hospital needing medical care, but at 302 pounds (137 kilograms), Pennywise was too large to fit their equipment. So the veterinary team at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach took her to nearby Jupiter Medical Center, hoping she could get a CT scan on a human machine. She was too big for that, as well. They quickly came up with another plan: taking Pennywise to Palm Beach Equine Clinic in Wellington, where the scan was performed on equipment designed for horses. 'And, luckily, the horse-sized machine was big enough to fit this lady through,' Heather Barron, the chief science officer and veterinarian at Loggerhead, told The Associated Press. Turns out, they also got a nice surprise: Images showed that Pennywise is carrying eggs. 'We hope we'll be able to get her back out there into the wild as soon as possible so that she can lay those eggs,' Barron said. Loggerheads, an endangered species, often lay multiple clutches during a season, she said. Pennywise arrived at the center Monday, after a crew from Inwater Research Group found her floating in the Atlantic with significant blunt force trauma to her shell that had already started to heal. The staff at the Juno Beach turtle center estimated that Pennywise's injuries were about a month old. Barron said the imaging showed some damage to bones that surround the spinal cord. They have the turtle on high-powered antibiotics. 'Luckily, right now, her neurologic exam shows that all those nerves are intact. And that is a great sign for her. We're very excited about that and we'll just be rechecking to make sure that we have no progression of the disease, and as soon as we feel like that wound is healed well enough, she can go back out into the wild.' Even so, Barron said, Pennywise's story is a 'textbook case of a turtle returning to the area for mating and nesting season, only to fall victim to an entirely preventable boat-strike injury.' Because nesting season in Florida runs from March 1 to Oct. 31, officials at the sea turtle center are encouraging boaters to slow down and to be especially mindful in what they refer to as the Sea Turtle Protection Zone, which extends a mile (1.6 kilometers) off the coast. ___ Frisaro reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
