Featured Image Credit: Sea Turtle Conservation Center
Have you ever thrown a coin into a wishing well? How about a fountain? Now, how about a pond?
Any of these are understandable, since they’re thought to grant wishes, or even bring general “good luck” to you.
But, a 25-year old sea turtle in Thailand didn’t reap the same luck.
Osmin, or “Piggy Bank”, lived in a public pond in Chonburi province and was thought to be a mercy release, or a practice of releasing a store-bought or ocean-caught animal in exchange for good karma.
When she was found a month ago, she was rescued by the Thai Navy. Scientists and researchers found more than 900 coins of different currencies in her stomach, a cracked shell, and a life-threatening infection.
The veterinarian team did everything to save her from, during her operation on March 6th, Dr. Nantarika Chansue heading that team.
Dr. Chansue noted that the amount of coins they found weighed about 5 kilograms, (11 lbs.) and came out to 10% of the turtle’s overall weight— making it very hard for her to swim, when they found her.
After undergoing two surgeries, there was hope that things would go swimmingly. Piggy Bank would have naturally required some recovery down-time, and then some more physical therapy to get back to normal, healthy levels, and see many years to come.
That was… until recently, when there was a decline in her health— reportedly slipping into a coma on Monday, and ultimately leading to her death due to blood poisoning on Tuesday, March 21.
The team had made plans previously to release the turtle at Sattahip later this week, but even in spite of Piggy Bank’s unfortunate passing, her remains will still be “returned to nature.”
Dr. Chansue hopes that her plight reminds others of the dangers of tossing coins into any place an animal lives and might mistake it for food, and had this to say to Khaosod… “Please change from throwing coins into the ponds to putting money into donation boxes.”