Thousands of cold-stunned turtles transported to Texas rescue centres
Officials aren't sure when the turtles will be re-released into the wild.
The historic deep freeze across Texas has had a profound impact on wildlife, with volunteers rushing to rescue thousands of cold-stunned sea turtles, Reuters reports.
The endangered turtles were spotted washing ashore on beaches off the southern coast of Texas.
As of Wednesday, at least 4,700 sea turtles were recovered. Wendy Knight, executive director of research and conservation centre Sea Turtle Inc, told Reuters that during a normal winter, between 100 and 500 turtles wash ashore on Texas beaches.
Some turtles are being cared for at a rescue centre. When that filled up, others were brought to The South Padre Island Convention Center and Visitors Bureau, which still has heat. They'll be kept in enclosures and tubs until the water has warmed up enough for them to be re-released.
“Every 15 minutes or less there’s another truck or SUV that pulls up,” Ed Caum, executive director of the bureau, told the Associated Press.
Officials aren't sure when the turtles will be returned to the wild, given another storm is aiming for the region, but some estimate the re-release could begin Saturday.
Scores of volunteers have stepped in to help with rescue efforts, donating time, money, and generators. South Padre Island city council has built platforms to help store the turtles, NPR reports. And on Tuesday night, SpaceX donated a giant, commercial generator.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN TURTLES ARE COLD STUNNED?
Sudden and unexpected temperature drops can cause sea turtles to become cold-stunned, resulting in a decrease in heart rate and circulation, causing lethargy, seaturtles.org explains.
It can lead to serious and life-threatening conditions, like shock, pneumonia, or frostbite.
Cold-stunning usually occurs when waters are around 10C or below.
All five of the sea turtle species found in Texas are endangered, and they're especially sensitive to drops in water temperature because the cold-blooded creatures are unable to regulate their body temperature.
HELPING THE SEA TURTLES
Sea Turtle Inc is currently accepting donations to help in recovery efforts. Funds can be transferred through Facebook or via the Sea Turtle Inc. website.
