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| Dead and dying turtles |
February 25, 2016 - EARTH - The following constitutes the latest reports of unusual and symbolic animal behavior, mass die-offs, beaching and stranding of mammals, and the appearance of rare creatures.
Carcasses of Olive Ridley turtles found along Odisha's Puri coast in India
Ahead of the mass nesting of Olive Ridley turtles, at least 40 turtles of the endangered species were found dead along the beach of Odisha's Pilgrim Town Puri.Carcasses of the endangered turtles were spotted along the coast near Digabareni Khunti (Weather Pole) here yesterday.
Tourists and local people gathered at the site to witness the rare species of turtles which were lying bloated and decomposed. The forest officials buried the carcasses of the turtles to prevent it from being prayed on by predators like wild dogs, hyenas and jackals and minimise stench emanating from it.
Multiple injuries were found on the bodies of the turtles which points towards possibility of them being hit by fishing trawlers in the sea.
"We suspect that the turtles were killed after being hit by the fan blades of the fishing trawlers in the sea," a forest official said.
The dead turtles found along the coast in the holy town have raised concerns among the environmentalists and wildlife researchers as many whales were found dead on various beaches along the Odisha coast.
Notably, Olive Ridley turtles throng the Odisha coast for breeding and nesting during January-February. During this period, fishing activities are banned in 20 km distance from the beach to ensure the safety of the breeding turtles.
Earlier on February 17, over 150 dead turtles and a bottlenose dolphin was found near Mangala Nadi and Shri Vihar area in the city.
Besides, over 1000 dead turtles were spotted along the coast near Paradip under Gahirmatha marine sanctuary in Kendrapara district. - Odisha Sun Times.
Green sea turtles hit by cold weather in Florida
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Clearwater
Marine Aquarium (CMA) associate sea turtle biologist Brittany Workman
listens to the heartbeat of a cold stunned green sea turtle while CMA
senior turtle
biologist Cassie Seebart tucks another cold stunned green seat turtle in to a heated recovery area Monday, Jan. 25, 2016 in Clearwater, Fla. © Jim Damaske/The Tampa Bay Times |
Juvenile green sea turtles are washing up on local beaches — dead or in distress — at an alarming rate this year, experts say.
The Clearwater Marine Aquarium has picked up more than 129 dead and 93 living sea turtles since Feb. 3, more than the total number of dead specimens collected during all of 2015.
"We've already done a year's worth of work," said Adrienne Cardwell, the aquarium's manager of sea turtles and aquatic biology programs.
Crews have been responding to calls about the stranded young turtles and patrolling Pinellas County's northern beaches for the past two weeks, searching for the aquatic reptiles as water temperatures dropped — leaving many turtles with already compromised immune systems in trouble.
Because sea turtles need external heat to regulate their body temperature, cold water can cause decreased heart rate and circulation, lethargy, shock and even death.
WATCH: Update on Operation Cold Stun.
Many of the green sea turtles also contracted a virus in the wild called fibropapillomas, which can cause them to grow cauliflower-shaped tumors on their soft tissue and eyes.
Strong winds have pushed the weak, endangered sea turtles — some of which are unable to feed themselves — toward shore.
"These animals were already having issues, so the cold weather sealed the deal with them," Cardwell said.
Experts don't know how the virus, similar to the herpes virus in humans, is transmitted, and there is little conclusive research on the subject, Cardwell said.
The virus is becoming increasingly problematic among the local sea turtle population.
The cold weather mostly has affected turtles off Pinellas and Pasco county shores, where temperature drops have been more severe than in southern parts of Florida.
On Wednesday, Clearwater Marine Aquarium teams retrieved one dead and eight live sea turtles. Earlier this month, researchers picked up 22 dead and 13 live turtles in a single day.
The distressed animals are brought to the aquarium on Island Estates, along Clearwater's Memorial Causeway, where they are evaluated and treated with fluids and medicine.
Many of them don't make it through the first night, Cardwell said.
Some of the turtles recently recovered by Clearwater crews have been taken nearly 400 miles to a veterinary hospital in Marathon, in the Florida Keys, for rehabilitation and eventual release.
Cardwell said the aquarium is running out of resources to care for the distressed turtles and is seeking donations to help buy medical items such as gauze, rubbing alcohol and Rubbermaid bins to hold the turtles during their care.
Because of the influx, the aquarium has exhausted its sea turtle budget for this year.
Joe Widlansky, a sea turtle biologist with the nonprofit Sea Turtle Trackers, which monitors nesting on St. Pete Beach and Shell Key, said he has been dealing with similar problems along the coast in southern Pinellas County.
The juvenile green sea turtles he has found have weighed between four and 20 pounds. Last week he turned over two live turtles to the aquarium, but he also has found dead ones.
He recalled a significant statewide cold-stun in 2010 but expected the overall die-off to be lower this year because southern Florida largely has been unaffected.
"It's pretty bad. Hopefully it'll be over really soon with this nice weather warming up the water," Widlansky said. "We just hope every year by March it's over."
The green sea turtle primarily nests along Florida's east coast but can be found feeding on sea grass in shallow waters along the Gulf Coast.
Boaters and beach-goers should be on the lookout for stranded sea turtles or turtles floating on the surface of the water, Cardwell said. If they dive beneath the surface they likely are fine. - Orlando Sentinel.
Hundreds of South Auckland birds killed by botulism-like disease
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The disease is mostly affecting waterfowl including ducks and gulls.© Anna-Marie Bakos
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Hundreds of birds in a South Auckland wetland have been killed in a botulism outbreak.
The Department of Conservation and Fish and Game are working with the Pukorokoro Miranda Shorebird Centre to contain the outbreak.
The wetland is home to tens of thousands of rare native and non-native waterfowl and shore birds and it's estimated around 200 have died so far.
Fish and Game said it's an unfortunate thing to happen, especially in a significant wetland like Miranda.
"There is a botulism outbreak, which is a very serious bird disease. It is caused and spread by poor oxygen levels in the water - the birds ingest it and it's all over." said Don Rood, Fish and Game spokesman.
"It's not a nice way to go, it paralyses them then they die."
Rood said there's little that can be done, aside from burying the bodies, so the bacteria can't spread and re-enter the environment to infect healthy birds.
"What we're worried about is the deterioration of the general environment, when things like this happen there is a tendancy to down play it but anything that is killing birds in such a way is a concern." Rood said.
Department of Conservation Wildlife Vet Kate McInnes said this is a case of avian botulism and poses no risk to humans.
"It's triggered by environmental conditions which prompt a bacteria, found naturally in soil, to produce a toxin that cause birds to die."
McInnes said that botulism outbreaks usually clear naturally when rain and cooler temperatures change the conditions that triggered the outbreak.
The Miranda Shorebird Centre manager Keith Woodley said the outbreak of disease is concerning and has been killing waterfowl and shore birds over last two weeks.
"There is always concern when it's affecting our wildlife, but it's important to remember that outbreaks of this nature are not uncommon in this country, especially when conditions are warm and dry.
He added that the disease has so far only affected a small portion of the tens of thousands of birds in the wetland area.
Dead birds found at Pukorokoro Miranda have been sent to Massey University for testing to try and establish the cause of death. - Auckland Now.
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