WIRES Green sea turtle release Monday 14 Oct

Saturday, October 12, 2013

After a long recovery at Taronga wildlife clinic, WIRES is pleased to be releasing a green sea turtle back to the wild on the Central Coast of NSW this Monday the 14th of October.

On June 20 2013 a juvenile female green sea turtle was found by a member of the public in the mud flats at St Hubert’s island in the central coast of Sydney. The animal was found to be undernourished and exhausted. WIRES volunteer Pam Strykowski took it into care and kept it overnight until able to transport it to Taronga Wildlife Clinic in Mosman for specialist care.

WIRES member Pam said “ The animal was very unwell, immobile and possibly close to death when I picked it up. I was not expecting to hear good news but it has made a remarkable recovery. It needs to be released into the sea 500 metres off shore to avoid the surf and boats – this will give it the best chance of getting on its way safely.”

“Green sea turtles are listed as endangered and being able to help one to get healthy and back into the wild is a privilege. Thanks to the wonderful work of Taronga wildlife clinic staff WIRES is now able to release the animal back to where it belongs.” Pam said.

The green sea turtle travels very long distances during migration to find suitable feeding and mating grounds. It has been known to travel over 2600 km to get to new habitat. After mating the female will use her flippers to bury her eggs in the sand. Hatchlings will head for open water at 45 to 75 days just after emerging from the egg. This is the most dangerous time for a green sea turtle being very small and susceptible to predators. When fully grown their only known predators are sharks and man.

Pam Strykowski said “ On Monday 14 Oct I will be releasing this turtle back into the wild. I am very excited to be doing this and can only hope that the part WIRES has played in the rescue and release of this green sea turtle can make a small difference to the species survival.”

Media Contact: WIRES (02) 8977 3327

Media Email: [email protected]

ABOUT WIRES

WIRES is Australia’s largest wildlife rescue organisation. WIRES has been rescuing and caring for sick, injured and orphaned native animals for over 35 years with a mission to actively rehabilitate and preserve Australian wildlife and inspire others to do the same. WIRES’ Wildlife Rescue Office answers calls from the community 24/7, 365 days a year, providing rescue advice and assistance for over 130,000 animals annually. Connecting wildlife to real-time assistance, WIRES full-time mobile Wildlife Ambulances operate across New South Wales, South-East Queensland and Tasmania, and WIRES had over 3,500 volunteers assisting with wildlife rescue and care in NSW. WIRES is supporting thousands of wildlife carers across Australia through a diverse range of national programs. WIRES also collaborates nationally with strategic partners to support the long-term recovery of wildlife habitat and the long-term preservation of native species in the wild.

For more information on WIRES wildlife programs visit www.wires.org.au.

MEDIA CONTACTS

WIRES Media Officer: John Grant | 0416 272 153 | [email protected]

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