Percy goes home

News source: The Weekender
13 February 2007

CENTURY-OLD green turtle, Percy has been released back into the ocean after three weeks of rehabilitation at Beerwah's Australian Wildlife Hospital.

Percy was released back into the Pacific's deep waters off Mooloolaba in late January by Australia Zoo's Wildlife Warriors (AZWW). The release operation aboard the Irwin family's Croc One vessel, by chance quickly became a rescue mission. Another turtle, this time a feisty 104 kg female, later named Trident, was found in distress floating nearby.

The Australian Wildlife Hospital's (AWH) manager Gail Gipp says Percy and Trident were very lucky to be rescued by the Wildlife Warriors and that turtles are often found as "floaters" and transported to the AWH's purpose-built turtle rehabilitation pool which, unfortunately, is always occupied.

"Coccidia or blood fluke and obstructions in the intestines, such as ingested pollution, cause a large amount of gas to accumulate under the shell, causing them to float. Once weakness, dehydration, hunger and barnacles set in, the turtles get so sick that they are commonly washed ashore," she says.

The AWH's Rescue Unit came to 94 kg Percy's aid in the early hours of Friday 5 January. He was discovered washed up on Coolum Beach by morning walkers with heavy rope wrapped tightly around his lacerated neck and remaining front flipper. Percy had already lost one flipper, which remained only as six inches of bare protruding bone.

Gail says Percy's injuries required him to be released into deep water. "We wanted him to have the best possible chance for survival, so we released him away from the boat lanes into deeper waters.

"Each year thousands of marine turtles become entangled in fishing netting, drum and fishing lines or become victims of man-made rubbish, such as plastic bags and cigarette butts.

"All eight species of marine turtles are classified as vulnerable or endangered and if we want to continue to have these amazing creatures in the future, we need to preserve and protect their habitat by banning the use of shark nets, long lines and drum nets," Gail says.

"We also need to reduce the amount of rubbish that goes into our oceans. Please don't leave rubbish on the beach, pick it up, even if it's not yours, because you may save an animal's life," Gail says.

AWH staff described Percy as a quiet, shy-natured boy with "attitude" when he did not want to do something.

Wildlife Warriors, of which the wildlife hospital is a part, was initially established in 2002 by Steve and Terri Irwin. The charity aims to invove and encourage other caring people to support the protection of injured, threatened or endangered wildlife - from the individual animal to an entire species.

The hospital's rescue unit collects sick, injured and orphaned native wildlife, providing care and rehabilitation before releasing them back into the wild.