A 40-YEAR old female Olive Ridley sea turtle, named ‘Olivia’, is now under observation at the Hatchery and Wet Laboratory of the Zamboanga State College of Marine Sciences and Technology (ZSCMST) in Rio Hondo village, this city, a veterinary official said Thursday, March 28.
Dr. Mario Arriola, Office of the City Veterinarian (OCVet) chief, said Olivia was recovered by residents in the coastal area of Sinubong, 26 kilometers west of this city, on Sunday, March 24.
Arriola said personnel from his office with counterparts from the regional office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) are closely monitoring the condition of the 21-kilogram Olivia to ensure full recovery before it can be released back to the sea.
Arriola said Olivia’s appetite has been okey since Tuesday, March 26, but bouyancy is still abnormal. Its feces are not formed and some styro materials were noticed.
Arriola said Olivia has been fed with fresh tamban (sardinella) and seaweed three times a day and was injected with vitamins and antibiotics Wednesday, March 27.
Arriola said Olivia will be brought to the clinic for x-ray on Monday, April 1.
DENR Studies show that Olive Ridley Sea Turtles have an average life span of 50 years in the wild and grow up to 2.5 feet.
It got its name from the generally greenish color of its skin and shell or carapace.