Hawksbill Turtle With Amputated Flipper Is Treated at Auckland Zoo

Hawksbill turtles aren’t typically seen on New Zealand beaches, so when one washed up at Ninety Mile Beach, scientists suspected injury or illness.

The zoo’s team published footage of the turtle’s follow-up treatment on World Turtle Day, May 23, after it was found with an injured flipper and plastic in its system. They said it was recovering well.

“We did some X-rays, so we wanted to get a really good look at the insides of him, as well as have a look at that flipper that was missing and just have a look at what was still there and what parts were there and have a look at the bones and make sure that they’re looking alright,” the zoo’s veterinary resident Lydia Uddstrom said. Credit: Facebook/Auckland Zoo via Storyful