Turtle Patient 148: Buil, Adult Male Olive Ridley
Buil was found flouting near Malé airport in North Malé Atoll. He spent 4 months at our Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Centre at One & Only Reethi Rah before being transferred to the Marine Turtle Rescue Centre when his health took a turn for the worse.
Intake Date: 19 May 2021
Patient Number: 148
Rescue Location: North Malé Atoll
Reason: Found floating, missing 2 flippers
Transport Method: Seaplane
Status: Deceased 18 June 2021
Species: Olive ridley
Scientific Name: Lepidochelys olivacea
Sex: Male
Age: Adult
Length: 66cm
Weight: 28kg
Sunan has been very kindly adopted by Jessica Russell and for Millie by Carolina Sabino Ribeiro.
Deceased
Buil is, unfortunately, a double amputee; both front flippers were amputated by ghost gear and he was discovered floating out in the open ocean near Malé airport. This is a truly tragic situation and is a very sad reminder of the harm caused by ghost gear. Sadly, he cannot dive either and in the last few weeks, his health has been deteriorating. He has had blood samples and x-rays this week to try and we will try to get to the bottom of his issues.
30 May 2021
Buil is doing ok; some days he has a really good appetite and sometimes doesn’t want to eat at all, but in general he is eating sufficient quantities to keep us happy. He isn’t too underweight, so that is good, and, despite his lung issues and his signs of bone infection, he seems fairly settled at the moment.
6 June 2021
Buil is doing ok this week. He is eating quite well but is not an active or motivated turtle. Unfortunately, he finds things pretty hard.
13 June 2021
Buil is having a difficult time, unfortunately. He has been much less interested in food this week, although he is still keen on crabs. He is finding things tough in general, but we continue to try and ensure he is comfortable and as stress free as possible.
20 June 2021
Buil sadly passed this week after deterioration following pneumonia and bone infections. He hadn’t been eating very much and, despite intervention, he wasn’t strong enough to pull through. Buil was a very tough case; as a double amputee, he wasn’t releasable and he found life very challenging, being unable to maneuver himself around or dive. We are thankful at least that he is no longer suffering.
