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Amputee Sea Turtle Finds A Home

In 2018, an olive ridley turtle named Heidi was rescued in the Maldives after getting trapped in a fishing net. Heidi had surgery to amputate his left front flipper and his right front flipper has minimal mobility as well, making him essentially a double amputee from the net entrapment. Since Heidi’s movements are too restricted for him to be released back into the wild, he spent the next four years at the Olive Ridley Project, a turtle sanctuary in the Maldives. His caretakers searched for a forever home for the sea turtle for years and finally found one. Heidi has recently been transported to The National Marine Aquarium in the United Kingdom, where he will reside in the Great Barrier Reef exhibit. Heidi is a very friendly sea turtle and the aquarium staff say he is adjusting well to being around other marine life again.

Image via Olive Ridley Project


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