Loggerhead Turtle Recovers After Flipper Amputation

Veterinarians in Cape Town, South Africa, amputated the front left flipper of Habanero, an endangered loggerhead sea turtle. He arrived at the Turtle Conservation Centre last February covered in thousands of leeches and suffering from severe anemia. Experts de-leeched him, but an X-ray revealed significant bone damage in his elbow.

After months of antibiotics failed to improve his condition, Dr. Bernice van Huyssteen and her team removed the infected tissue.

They discovered a large mass of necrotic material within the joint during the 1.5-hour surgery. The Morukuru Goodwill Foundation and Sharp Exotic and Small Animal Veterinary Clinic supported the procedure.

Since December, Habanero has adapted to swimming with three flippers in a large rehabilitation pool. While his prognosis remains guarded due to small infections in other flippers, radiographs show no new infection sites. The team will continue monitoring him with bloodwork and scans before considering his release.