Sea Turtle Released After Dying … Twice!
Photo Credit: SC Aquarium via Discovery.com
They say a cat has nine lives. Well, this sea turtle has, at least, two.
Veterinarians at the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Rescue Program recently released two rehabilitated loggerhead turtles off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina.
According to aquarium officials one of the turtles died – twice.
The turtle was aptly named Lazarus.
The turtle, Lazarus, suffered from dangerously low amounts of blood sugar, iron and protein after being discovered off of the coast of Garden City, South Carolina. According to Dr. Shane Boylan, the turtle frantically gasped for air and eventually became unresponsive as its eyes sank back into its head, a well-known sign of death in turtles.
Boylan administered epinephrine and assisted the turtle with its breathing until it regained consciousness. Lazarus was put on a respirator and had another similar close call with death just days later. Despite an initial poor prognosis, the turtle was recently given a clean bill of health after almost a year of intensive care.
No word if South Carolina Aquarium officials watched the James Bond film You Only Live Twice while Lazarus was recovering in intensive care.
Photo credit: James Bond Wikia
Check out the story from Discover.com here and the full release from the SC Aquarium here.
