Turtle defecates plastic after swimming in ocean filled with rubbish (video)
A green turtle (Chelonia mydas) was rescued from a fishing net off the coast of Buenos Aires and taken to the Mundo Marino Foundation. Afterward, it was discovered that it had ingested large quantities of plastic which had been floating in the ocean.
The turtle had no option but to allow the large quantities of plastic to pass through its digestive system until it ultimately defecated. Because the turtle had consumed a large amount of plastic, which it couldn’t digest, it prevented the turtle from consuming and digesting actual food. It therefore became very emaciated (weak).
Juan Pablo Loureiro, a vet from Mundo Marino said: “You have to bear in mind that the accumulation of garbage generates the sensation of a lack of hunger. This makes them weaker and will decrease their chances of survival.”
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Photo from CEN/Mundo Marino.
