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This is Bear, who was discovered at Bermagui after washing ashore. Photos: Bermagui Veterinary Clinic Facebook.<\/p>\n
A South Coast vet clinic is calling on people to keep an eye out for \u201cbeautiful animals\u201d, after an injured critter was sent off for some TLC.<\/p>\n
Practice manager at Bermagui Veterinary Clinic Motria von Schreiber said the turtle \u2013 nicknamed Bear by a refuge giving him specialist care \u2013 was recently discovered on Beares Beach in Bermagui.<\/p>\n
She said people walked past him over several days, before someone saw his head move and called the clinic.<\/p>\n
Once Doctor Carl assessed him, a full rescue and recovery operation was launched to save his life.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was very, very lucky for that turtle that somebody noticed the head moving \u2013 otherwise he would still be there,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
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Ms von Schreiber says the turtles are normally “pretty, beautiful animals” – but sometimes need some extra TLC. Photo: Bermagui Veterinary Clinic Facebook.<\/p>\n
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Vet staff worked with wildlife rescuers to move him from the beach and send him to a rescue centre in the NSW Shoalhaven region \u2013 but his fight had just begun.<\/p>\n
He was covered in barnacles (including over his eye), was underweight and generally in poor shape.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo some degree, barnacles are OK on a turtle. It\u2019s natural that they pick [up some] \u2013 a lot of marine life picks up barnacles,\u201d Ms von Schreiber said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen it gets to be too much and the turtle is in weakened condition, then something has to be done.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat turtle had signs of sepsis. It was very weak, undernourished, and had an infection. All that\u2019s being treated. Yeah, and also arthritis.\u201d<\/p>\n
An arthritis diagnosis also means Bear is possibly an older turtle, but his exact age is hard to tell, as Hawksbill sea turtles are \u201cnot giant\u201d.<\/p>\n
The last information she had from the refuge was that Bear was eating on his own and continuing his recovery at Mudgeroo Wombat and Wildlife Refuge.<\/p>\n
After arriving, he spent some time eating a puree (deliberately packed with the nutrients he needed) and having a good soak so the barnacles could fall off safely.<\/p>\n
The Hawksbill sea turtle is a critically endangered sea turtle, which normally enjoys its time in tropical and subtropical waters.<\/p>\n
Ms von Schreiber had never seen a Hawksbill turtle at Bermagui before. She said the South Coast was \u201cway out\u201d of their normal feeding range and away from their normal habitats.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe big picture for this turtle, and why it\u2019s so special, is that they are in decline.<\/p>\n
\u201c[The population on] the coast of Australia is likely to face extinction for lots of reasons.<\/p>\n
\u201cClimate change is the driving factor warming oceans and changing currents. \u2026 We\u2019re already seeing signs of tropical marine life drifting further [down the coast].\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms von Schreiber believes his story is a reminder of why it\u2019s so important to keep an eye on your surroundings for any animals in need.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeares Beach is really popular because it\u2019s a dog walking beach, so it\u2019s really easy to be focused on your dog and ignore anything that might be unusual.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very easy to not notice [an animal like Bear] half-buried in the sand.\u201d<\/p>\n
And what about Bear\u2019s future?<\/p>\n
Once he recovers, the plan is to release him back where he should be.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sure they\u2019ll arrange with someone to transport him to go further north when he\u2019s ready to go \u2013 that\u2019s where his DNA gene pool is,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
If you find a turtle on a NSW beach, you can call NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service on 1300 072 757 or the WIRES hotline on 1300 094 737.<\/p>\n