Amputee Green Turtle beats the odds at Taronga Wildlife Hospital 

The sub-adult green turtle, a vulnerable species, was brought into Taronga Wildlife Hospital in Sydney from Terrigal Beach in early December with a severely damaged front flipper caused by fishing line entanglement.  

The tightly wound fishing line caused tissue, tendon and bone exposure with Taronga’s veterinarian team determining the best treatment option was amputation due to the extensive damage and high risk of infection.  

“The flipper damage this turtle sustained due to the fishing line entanglement was one of the worst I’ve seen in my 18 years as a wildlife vet,” said Rebecca Robey, Veterinarian at Taronga Wildlife Hospital. 

After five weeks of intensive care and recovery from the surgery, the sutures were removed from the fully healed amputation site. To assess and ensure survivability post-release, the marine turtle patient was moved into Taronga’s rehabilitation marine pools to re-build swimming strength. 

The amputee quickly showed strong signs of determination to get back to the big blue, and with the help of Sydney Harbour Water Police, Taronga’s veterinary team released the turtle off Sydney Harbour headlands. 

“Witnessing the injury, recovery, rehabilitation and release of this green turtle is by far the most rewarding part of my job as a vet.” 

“If you’re out fishing or at the beach and see loose fishing line, please pick it up and dispose of it to stop this fate from happening to other wildlife,” said Rebecca. 

Green turtles are listed as a vulnerable species, with Taronga’s recent turtle tracking study finding the species to be year-round residents in NSW waters. 

This wildlife rescue was made possible thanks to the collaborative effort of Terrigal Surf Club members, Marine Wildlife Rescue, SASH Vets and WIRES, who all contributed to rescuing and seeking Taronga Wildlife Hospital’s marine wildlife expertise.

To expand its capacity to care for injured and endangered animals, Taronga is currently constructing a new wildlife hospital at Taronga Zoo Sydney, which includes specialised rehabilitation pools for marine turtles and seabirds. Taronga’s new Wildlife Hospital is set to be completed later this year.