Meet Shimmi, An Adult Female Olive Ridley Ghost Gear Victim
Shimmi was rescued from a ghost net by Soneva Jani Resort in Noonu Atoll.
Intake Date: 23rd December 2019
Length: 65 cm
Weight: 28.7 kg
Status: Deceased 14th January 2020
Shimmi has been adopted by Rosalind Colthart.
Deceased
Shimmi was found entangled in a ghost net and suffered awful injuries to both flippers on her left side. The front flipper could not be saved and was amputated. The back one was partially amputated as she was already missing her foot. Her right front flipper is missing the tip as well, so looks quite short.
This poor lady has endured a lot. But she is tough! Unfortunately, with the extent of her injuries, she will not be likely be released. We will see how she recovers and keep assessing her ability to swim.
14 January 2020
Shimmi had quite a rough start at the centre but she seemed to be quite a fighter. Everyday, she showed us more and more strength and resilience, regardless of what life threw at her.
She got accustomed to life in the tank and ate quite well. Unfortunately, she needed a second surgery to remove more of her back flipper and to tidy up where the front flipper was removed, as the surgery site had broken down.
She remained stable throughout the surgery, but unfortunately she she did not wake up from the anaesthetic. Vet Jackie helped her breathe throughout the night, but it seems that all her injuries and the surgery finally got too much for her.
An autopsy reveled that she suffered from blood poisoning, infection and pneumonia, brought on by the injuries she sustained whilst being entangled in the ghost net. We are devastated that she got help too late.
