Loggerhead turtle released after treatment for plastic ingestion

After treatment at Marathon's Turtle Hospital for digestive tract impaction, a loggerhead sea turtle was returned to the ocean off of the Florida Keys on Friday. From Nature World News:

The roughly 6-pound, foot-long animal nicknamed “Charley” was first located by a fisherman who spotted it floating in a patch of weeds 22 miles off of the Middle Keys. Upon examination veterinarians discovered that Charley had ingested a small piece of plastic, causing its digestive system to become impacted. Richie Maroetti, Turtle Hospital founder and director, said in a statement that turtles sometimes confuse plastic with one of their favorite food sources: jellyfish. "It plugged up her bowel and she started to float," Moretti said. "We gave her some antibiotics and gave her a little Metamucil and she's just much better.” Ultimately, however, Charley’s struggle is symptomatic of a much larger problem, Moretti warns. "We just gotta keep plastic out of our ocean," he said.

Read the rest of the story here. Photo : Florida Keys & Key West News Flash