Successful rehabilitation of an oiled sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) affected by the biggest oil spill disaster in Brazil

Oliveira Rem, Attademo Fln, Galvincio Js, Freire Acb, Silva As, Pires Jml, Lima Lrp, Aguiar Jmf, Moreira Ab, Melo Lis, Gavilan Sa, Lima Sa, Lima Ma, Silva Fjl and Oliveira Mf
Additional contact information
Oliveira Rem: Postgraduate Program in Animal Science, Applied Animal Morphophysiology Laboratory (LABMORFA), Department of Animal Sciences, Federal Rural University of Semi-Árido - UFERSA, Mossoró-RN, Brazil
Attademo Fln: Costa Branca Cetacean Project, State University of Rio Grande do Norte - PCCB-UERN, Mossoró-RN, Brazil
Galvincio Js: Postgraduate Program in Small Animal Critical Care Medicine, Equalis - Education and Higher Qualification, São Paulo-SP, Brazil
Freire Acb: Costa Branca Cetacean Project, State University of Rio Grande do Norte - PCCB-UERN, Mossoró-RN, Brazil
Silva As: Costa Branca Cetacean Project, State University of Rio Grande do Norte - PCCB-UERN, Mossoró-RN, Brazil
Pires Jml: Costa Branca Cetacean Project, State University of Rio Grande do Norte - PCCB-UERN, Mossoró-RN, Brazil
Lima Lrp: Costa Branca Cetacean Project, State University of Rio Grande do Norte - PCCB-UERN, Mossoró-RN, Brazil
Aguiar Jmf: Costa Branca Cetacean Project, State University of Rio Grande do Norte - PCCB-UERN, Mossoró-RN, Brazil
Moreira Ab: Costa Branca Cetacean Project, State University of Rio Grande do Norte - PCCB-UERN, Mossoró-RN, Brazil
Melo Lis: Costa Branca Cetacean Project, State University of Rio Grande do Norte - PCCB-UERN, Mossoró-RN, Brazil
Gavilan Sa: Costa Branca Cetacean Project, State University of Rio Grande do Norte - PCCB-UERN, Mossoró-RN, Brazil
Lima Sa: Costa Branca Cetacean Project, State University of Rio Grande do Norte - PCCB-UERN, Mossoró-RN, Brazil
Lima Ma: Costa Branca Cetacean Project, State University of Rio Grande do Norte - PCCB-UERN, Mossoró-RN, Brazil
Silva Fjl: Costa Branca Cetacean Project, State University of Rio Grande do Norte - PCCB-UERN, Mossoró-RN, Brazil
Oliveira Mf: Postgraduate Program in Animal Science, Applied Animal Morphophysiology Laboratory (LABMORFA), Department of Animal Sciences, Federal Rural University of Semi-Árido - UFERSA, Mossoró-RN, Brazil

Veterinární medicína, 2021, vol. 66, issue 7, 313-319

Abstract: The standardisation of protocols and discussion of therapeutic procedures in the rehabilitation of turtles affected by oil spills are necessary to optimise the recovery time and increase the chances of survival of these animals. This study aimed at reporting the processes adopted for the stabilisation, decontamination, rehabilitation and release of an oiled olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), rescued alive on September 23, 2019, at Santa Rita Beach, Extremoz municipality, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Its entire body was covered by oil. At first, the animal was mechanically dry cleaned using a gauze soaked in mineral oil in the keratinised regions (carapace and plastron) and a gauze soaked in vegetable oil was used on the oral, nasal, ocular, and cloacal mucous membranes. The second stage of the oil removal consisted of washing the animal with heated pressurised water (39 °C) and a neutral detergent using a soft foam sponge. The animal received treatment with antitoxins, antibiotics, analgesics, gastrointestinal protectors, and fluid therapy. After 7 days of treatment, the blood count showed that all the parameters were within the normal range. The oil cleaning process and the therapeutic protocol used in the rehabilitation of the olive ridley sea turtle were efficient.

Keywords: Cheloniidae; contamination; crude oil; intoxication; Testudines (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://vetmed.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/81/2020-VETMED.html (text/html)
http://vetmed.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/81/2020-VETMED.pdf (application/pdf)
free of charge

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:caa:jnlvet:v:66:y:2021:i:7:id:81-2020-vetmed

DOI: 10.17221/81/2020-VETMED

Access Statistics for this article

Veterinární medicína is currently edited by Ing. Helena Smolová Ph.D.

More articles in Veterinární medicína from Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Ivo Andrle ().