Loggerhead Turtle Lays Over 100 Eggs After Recovering From 'Severe' Shark Attack at Miami Zoo
Ron Magill/Zoo Miami
A massive loggerhead turtle is receiving a second chance at life!
On May 22, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) rescued an injured female loggerhead turtle from the waters near the Port St. Lucie Power Plant. The agency contacted Zoo Miami, which just completed building a sea turtle hospital, for help with the marine animal. The zoo, eager to treat its first turtle patient, said yes.
The turtle arrived at the Florida zoo's hospital weighing 388 pounds and is estimated to be 50 years old. The hospital's experts believe a shark likely attacked the sea turtle before her rescue because she was found with a severe wound on her front flipper, leaving the limb with only exposed bone and torn flesh.
The extent of the injury wasn't Zoo Miami's only surprise; the hospital's veterinarians also discovered that the turtle was full of eggs.
"By Tuesday morning, she had deposited over 100 eggs which were carefully collected so that they could be transported by the Miami-Dade Parks Sea Turtle Conservation Program staff with the approval of FWC and inserted into a man-made nest for incubation," the Zoo Miami detailed on Instagram.
"Though some eggs were initially deposited in water and unlikely to hatch, there is hope that some of the eggs are fertile and will successfully hatch," the facility added.
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Following more exams at the hospital, the turtle, later named "Baymax," received surgery to treat her injuries. According to a statement from Zoo Miami, "The main purpose of the surgery was to remove the exposed damaged bone and treat the amputated limb in a way that would help prevent infection and provide the reptile with a more stable path towards healing."
Baymax did great during surgery, and the procedure revealed more to her caretakers. "The ultrasound exam revealed that she still had dozens of eggs within her, and some of them emerged during the procedure," the Zoo Miami noted, "They were carefully placed in a bin of sand to be transported like the others."
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According to ABC, the zoo's sea turtle hospital won't officially open until next month.
In the meantime, Baymax has a long recovery ahead, but Zoo Miami is hopeful about her journey.
"She has received her best chance for survival, and it is hoped that she will overcome those challenges and be back in the wild soon!" the zoo shared.
