Two dead turtles found in Sabah over the span of two days.


July 6, 2017. 
By Olivia Miwil


KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Wildlife Department will send tissue samples of two turtle carcasses to laboratory to confirm the cause of death of the reptiles.

Its director Augustine Tuuga said initial reports indicated both female green turtles found in Kota Belud and here could be dying from toxicity or infection.

On Tuesday night, the department had retrieved the turtle carcass, about 30-year-old, from Lok Kelia beach in Kota Belud about 90-minute drive from here.

They were alerted again yesterday morning by public that another turtle, about 20-year-old, was seen washed out at the shore of Likas bay in the morning.

The first turtle in Kota Belud had severe bleeding in its respiratory, however, no gastrointestinal tract significant changes although some sea weed was found in it.

He added the reptile could have been visited seaweed farm for her last meal before it died.

“Probably and in most of the cases these severe haemorrhages in vital organs are due to toxicity, any red tide, toxins thrown into the sea , water pollution among others.

“Unfortunately in most of these cases the detection of toxins in laboratory is reduced when the animal is in advanced stage of decomposition,” he said in a statement yesterday.

The other one had bleeding in its liver and intestines, enlarged liver, and fishing hook underneath of the skin at neck area. 

Augustine added enlarged liver was a sign of infection which could be associated to bacteria entering the body via wounds from the hook.

A witness Mohd Razi Samsuddin, 16, who saw the turtle afloat in the sea around 7am was brought by someone to the beach.

“When we approached the turtle, which is about half a meter long, it was already motionless.

“Its shell had dried up and both of its eyes seemed to be bleeding,” he said when met at Likas bay yesterday.

Last year in March, two turtles were also found dead at the beach in Sipitang and Gaya island here which could be due to fish bombing or they had consumed plastic or rubbish.





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