CROW offers boating tips to help protect wildlife
The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife on Sanibel recently shared in a post on its Facebook page that one of the sad truths of wildlife medicine is not every animal has a survivable injury.
So far this year, CROW has admitted 337 patients who have been “hit by” something, it reported on Aug. 3. Educating the public to use caution while driving can save wildlife crossing the road, but human activities in the water affect wildlife, too.
“Boat strikes can seriously injure or kill sea turtles and other marine life,” CROW said. “Primary habitats for sea turtles are coastal shallow waters hosting many food sources … and boats.”
On July 23, an adult female loggerhead was admitted from Lover’s Key after she was found floating offshore in critical condition. Veterinarians found part of her shell was broken from a boat strike, which fractured her lower spine and punctured multiple organs. It reported that because of those injuries the sea turtle could not use her hind limbs and had to be humanely euthanized.
“Though it’s upsetting, we are grateful to the finders for reporting this turtle to us. Without them, this loggerhead may have been suffering and floating in pain for days,” CROW said. “A turtle’s shell is their body and as they grow, their shell, spine and nerve endings grow with them, which would make this an incredibly painful injury.”
It shared that staying alert while boating is the best way to avoid such tragic accidents. When possible, try to remain in deep-water channels and avoid boating over shallow areas that have seagrass beds.
“Pay attention to ‘slow speed’ and ‘no wake zone’ signs and choose someone onboard to be the marine life spotter,” CROW said. “The ocean is home to many creatures and being aware can help limit negative interactions with these animals and their habitats.”
If you find an animal in need of help, contact CROW at 239-472-3644.
For more information about CROW or to donate, visit http://www.crowclinic.org/.