375-pound loggerhead sea turtle returns to Atlantic after 3 months of rehab in Florida

The Associated Press
·1 min read
375-pound loggerhead sea turtle returns to Atlantic after 3 months of rehab in Florida

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COCOA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A 375-pound (170-kilogram) sea turtle has been released back into the Atlantic Ocean after three months of rehabilitation in Florida.

Officials with the Brevard Zoo released a male loggerhead named Bubba Wednesday afternoon in Cocoa Beach.

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Biologists with Inwater Research found Bubba in St. Lucie County on April 10, officials said. After noticing injuries to both front flippers, they used a crane to pull him out of the water and into a carrier in their pickup truck to bring him to the zoo.

  • In this undated photo provided by the Brevard Zoo, Bubba, a 375-plus-pound loggerhead sea turtle, receives medical treatment at the Sea Turtle Healing Center at the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne, Fla. (Brevard Zoo via AP)
    In this undated photo provided by the Brevard Zoo, Bubba, a 375-plus-pound loggerhead sea turtle, receives medical treatment at the Sea Turtle Healing Center at the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne, Fla. (Brevard Zoo via AP)
  • In this undated photo provided by the Brevard Zoo, Bubba, a 375-plus-pound loggerhead sea turtle, receives medical treatment at the Sea Turtle Healing Center at the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne, Fla. (Brevard Zoo via AP)
    In this undated photo provided by the Brevard Zoo, Bubba, a 375-plus-pound loggerhead sea turtle, receives medical treatment at the Sea Turtle Healing Center at the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne, Fla. (Brevard Zoo via AP)
  • In this photo provided by the Brevard Zoo, Bubba, a 375-plus-pound loggerhead sea turtle, is released back into the Atlantic Ocean at Lori Wilson Park in Cocoa Beach, Fla., Wednesday, July 10, 2024. (Brevard Zoo via AP)
    In this photo provided by the Brevard Zoo, Bubba, a 375-plus-pound loggerhead sea turtle, is released back into the Atlantic Ocean at Lori Wilson Park in Cocoa Beach, Fla., Wednesday, July 10, 2024. (Brevard Zoo via AP)
  • In this photo provided by the Brevard Zoo, Bubba, a 375-plus-pound loggerhead sea turtle, is released back into the Atlantic Ocean at Lori Wilson Park in Cocoa Beach, Fla., Wednesday, July 10, 2024. (Brevard Zoo via AP)
    In this photo provided by the Brevard Zoo, Bubba, a 375-plus-pound loggerhead sea turtle, is released back into the Atlantic Ocean at Lori Wilson Park in Cocoa Beach, Fla., Wednesday, July 10, 2024. (Brevard Zoo via AP)

A preliminary exam found that Bubba had likely been injured in a predator attack. The sea turtle was also dealing with an intensive infestation of marine leeches, which were causing anemia.

Biologists estimate Bubba is 60 to 75 years old.

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