Injured turtle rescued, released

CEBU, Philippines - An injured green sea turtle bearing no tag was rescued by environment authorities last Sunday along Tañon Strait Protected Seascape and was released to the wild the following day.

The adult turtle, roughly more than five years old measuring 96 centimeters in length and 86 centimeters in width, sustained four wounds in its shell.

It had three wounds in its carapace (top portion of its shell) and one in its plastron (bottom portion of the shell) when it was spotted trapped in a fish cage or bungsod owned by a certain Adriano Bubuli in Barangay Bato, Toledo City at 5 a.m. on May 11.

It was released with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and local fishermen around after authorities found the animal to have been fit and healthy, though noticeably weak.

The green sea turtle swam speedily when it was released to the sea last May 12, at 9:30 a.m., with a tag of PCP-PAWB-DENR with serial no. PH 03541 placed in the left frontal flipper.

Barangay Bato in Toledo City is within the TSPS, covering 251 barangays in 47 local government units in three provinces. This is composed of 23 LGUs in Cebu province, seven in Negros Occidental, and 17 Negros Oriental.

According to a report by TSPS assistant protected area superintendent  Lutheran Hernando after physically examining the protected species, the rescued turtle bore four “gunshot wounds” apparently from a .38 caliber firearm.

However, no bullet or empty shell was found from where the turtle was found.

Hernando stressed that by physical examination, he concluded that these wounds were indeed gunshot wounds.

“Nakita namo nga circle siya. Then lahi ang samad sa kanang pana kay sharp-edged man. Kung i-compare nimo siya kung bala, lingin man ang buslot kung bala ang gigamit unya ang duha ka samad tapad kaayo. Sikit ra kaayo siya, pasabot possible nga dul-it or duol ra pagpusil,” the TSPS official explained.

Nevertheless, the environment officer sought the expertise of the Philippine National Police initially in Toledo and later on at the PNP Crime Laboratory of the Cebu Provincial Police Office.

“Nag-submit mi og letter report sa PNP Crime Lab yesterday. We attached based sa picture. Formally, dili sila maka-identify unless makuha ang slug. Mao na ilang gi-note sa suwat pag-receive nila,” Hernando explained.

TSPS office has also sent letters to nearby coastal barangays of Bato, Ibo, Cabitoonan, and Talavera in Toledo City urging the officials and locales to inform them should they spot a weak or worse-dead turtle in their area.

“We will also be sending similar letters to other LGUs within the TSPS in Cebu. Atong gi-release ang pawikan kay wala ta’y facility sa pawikan nga injured. Wala ta’y pond, wala ta’y technical capability like X-ray. Maong mi-decide na lang ta to release the turtle,” Hernando explained.  —/NSA (FREEMAN)