A three-flippered turtle nicknamed 'Terry' has been released off the heads of Sydney Harbour, after undergoing a lifesaving operation and being nursed back to health by vets at Taronga Zoo's wildlife hospital.
Life savers at Terrigal Beach on the NSW Central Coast had helped rescue the young male turtle from the water in early December, after it was spotted swimming with a flipper badly injured by tangled fishing line.
Taronga vet Rebecca Robey said it was among the worst fishing line injuries she had seen in 18 years as a wildlife vet.
"We were actually quite shocked at the extent of his injuries," she said.
"The fishing line was so tight that it had rotted away a lot of his muscle and soft tissue, and there were bones exposed, which would have been incredibly painful for him."
With the line cutting off the blood and nerve supply to the turtle's front flipper, vets decided the best option was to amputate.
"It's not a decision that's made lightly, but there has been a lot of research done to know that these animals do survive well," Dr Robey said.
People urged to take care with fishing line
After five weeks of intensive care and recovery from the surgery, the sutures were removed and the amputation site had fully healed.
Then it was time for Terry to hit the pool at the zoo to rehabilitate and rebuild swimming strength.
The turtle proved to be a determined patient, giving vets confidence that the amputee swimmer was strong enough to survive after being released.
"We are really hoping that by amputating his flipper and giving him a good chance, we have set him up for a wonderful future in the wild," Dr Robey said.
She urged people to take care with fishing line, which also kills countless other wildlife, including coastal birds, crabs and marine mammals like dolphins.
"It's really important if you are out fishing to take any leftover fishing line and be really aware of what you do with that fishing line because it could end up in our waterways and it could damage our beautiful marine life, just like this little guy," she said.
After spending two months at Taronga, the turtle was given a police escort through the harbour and released near the heads.
Without a moment's hesitation, Terry darted off through the choppy waters and into the blue beyond.
Green turtles are listed as a vulnerable species and can live for 80 to 100 years.
Vets estimate Terry is between 15 and 20 years old, giving the recovered patient a full life ahead in the wild.
