POINGUINIM: An adult green sea turtle which was trapped in a fishing net at Palolem, Canacona, received a fresh lease of life as it was released back to the sea by the forest department after being treated for minor injuries.
After lifeguards at Palolem informed forest department at Pissonem range, forest guards Manjunath Kalangutkar and Datta Velip rushed to the beach and took possession of the green turtle, which is rarely seen on state coastline.
Pissonem range forest officer Devidas Velip said, the turtle sustained injuries to one of its flippers. The veterinary officer at Canacona, Dr Anisha Pinheiro, was called to treat the injured reptile.
After receiving a dose of antibiotics and some care to ensure it had recovered from its exhaustion, the turtle was handed over to the forest staff. The entrapped flippered creature weighed around 150kg.
It is learnt that such turtle species are mostly found in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Some sources said they are herbivores and mostly feed on sea grasses and algae.
Being rare, the green turtle piqued the curiosity of wildlife enthusiasts present at the spot during its rescue.
