Meet Kaushell, A Juvenile Hawksbill Missing A Flipper
Kaushell is a juvenile hawksbill turtle who was rescued by Kudadoo Maldives in Lhaviyani Atoll and sent to us via Atoll Marine Centre.
Intake Date: 30th October 2019
Length: 25.4 cm
Weight: 1.3 kg
Status: Released 2nd February 2019
Kaushell has been adopted by Emma Bois, Penny Scudamore and for Mila & Massi by Tania & Ugo.
Released
Kaushell was found missing her right flipper, unable to dive, covered in algae and extremely skinny. She has been worked up in the vet clinic and has been found to be anaemic and fighting a massive infection. We are giving Kaushell fluids and antibiotics as well as iron and vitamin supplements.
She is weak and fragile but we hope she will rebuild her muscle mass soon and put on some weight. She has already started to eat – which is great news!
Although we though Kaushell was buoyant, it turned out that she was not diving because she was also constipated! After a big poo a week into her stay at the Rescue Centre, she started diving!
18 November 2019
Kaushell is doing so well and has quickly become a favourite with the volunteers and the guests. She is plucky and lively and eating so well. She is also gaining good weight and getting stronger every day. We will repeat her blood test soon to see if her infection is resolving. We are very happy to report that Kaushell dives well and now sleeps at the bottom of her tank.
25 November 2019
As the Rescue Center is filled to capacity and then some, Kaushell is currently sharing a tank with Arti. They are actually getting along well! Kaushell picks up all the bits of food that Arti drops. She has put on weight this week and has been diving well.
2 December 2019
Kaushell is good friends with Arti, but often teases him because she can dive and he cannot. She zooms under him and plays with him. She is eating really well, gaining weight and getting stronger every day.
9 December 2019
Kaushell has been putting on weight this week, although she still has a way to go. She is going to have a repeat blood examination to check that she is regenerating her red blood cells well as she was very anaemic when she arrived. She has taken her iron injections like a champ!
16 December 2019
Kaushell is very well this week. She still has a slight issue with buoyancy, but she can dive quite well. Her appetite is fantastic.
23 December 2019
Kaushell is still slightly buoyant but she is loving life and the free food we provide. It shouldn’t be too much longer before we can send her back to her home reef.
30 December 2019
Kaushell is continuing to do well. We discovered she hates tuna this week and she let us know this by spitting her tuna out without even attempting to try it. Kids…
13 January 2020
Kaushell continues to do well. She is not spitting up her tuna anymore, even though we can tell she prefers her calamari. Often coming up to the glass to say hello, she is an inquisitive creature.
28 January 2020
Kaushell is getting ready for her release next week. She is heading to a nice reef at an island called Muthaa Fushi, where she will find lots of food. Hopefully she will feel right at home back in the sea.
3 February 2020
Kaushell was released onto a beautiful reef close to the Rescue Centre. We will be able to check up on her regularly as the resort has frequent snorkelling trips to the reef. She seemed well at home in her new surroundings and we wish her all the best.
