Turtle surgery after hit-and-run
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A shellshocked turtle is recovering from emergency surgery after a hit-and-run accident in New Plymouth.
The three-year-old female Red Head Slider turtle was found in the middle of Heta Rd with a badly cracked shell.
New Plymouth Vet Group staff used surgical wire and orthopaedic resin to reattach a piece of her shell.
She now faces up to 12 months of ongoing medical care while the shell heals.
Dr Robert Mills said the principle of shell surgery was to make it waterproof again so the turtle did not drown.
"It's not my first turtle operation," he said.
"I've done about half a dozen, mainly after they've been run over or bitten by dogs."
More often, he said, turtles were run over by their owners in their driveways.
Dr Mills said he was hopeful somebody would step forward to claim the turtle.
"It's obviously somebody's pet but how the hell it got out on to Heta Rd, I don't know," he said.
- © Fairfax NZ News
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