Durban — The South African Association for Marine Biological Research (Saambr) is hopeful that their recent patient, a green turtle, will make it through the weekend.
Saambr’s Ann Kunz said that after 48 hours of rehab, Jacques, a sick young green turtle opened one of his eyes ever so slightly on Friday morning for the first time since being admitted.
“We decided to name him Jacques after the great ocean explorer Jacque Cousteau as we hope that against the odds he is currently facing, he will one day be strong enough to continue his great global ocean adventurers,” Kunz said.
Jacques was found stranded on the beach at Munster on the lower South Coast on Wednesday afternoon by local visitors. They were quick to alert members of the KZN Stranding Network who, with assistance from Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and the lower South Coast SPCA, ensured that he was transported in comfort to Saambr’s Turtle Rehabilitation Centre at uShaka Sea World.
Kunz said that when the turtle rehabilitation staff initially assessed Jacques on Wednesday evening, they were very concerned as he was totally motionless and so weak, he was unable to open his eyes.
“We administered fluids and made Jacques comfortable for the night in a shallow heated holding pool lined with soft padding. We continued to monitor him throughout the night and were very relieved that he appeared a little more alert the next morning” said lead aquarist Sea Turtle Rehabilitation, Malini Pather.
Kunz said that shortly after the veterinary team arrived, they performed diagnostics which included blood, radiographs and an ultrasound.
“It was evident that he had gas trapped in his gastrointestinal tract with signs of an infection. It is difficult to determine the exact cause of the gas and infection at this stage and we cannot rule out foreign bodies,” Kunz said.
“Jacques is currently so weak that we would like to give the antibiotics a chance to work before we perform further diagnostics. We are hopeful that Jacques will make it through the weekend and look forward to being able to share images of Jacque with both eyes fully open very soon.”
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