Veterinarians at Mississippi State University have successfully performed life-saving measures on a pair of endangered sea turtles.
The first was a Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, named “Toast Malone” by veterinary professionals at the university, who had its third successful visit for specialized care. According to MSU officials, the turtle recently arrived in Starkville with a fishhook lodged in its stomach.
MSU Professor and College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) Internist Dr. John Thomason performed an endoscopy to successfully remove the fishhook, saving Toast’s life.
The veterinary college has seen this specific sea turtle, performed similar procedures, and microchipped the reptile to track and monitor its recovery. The efforts are part of the university-based Global Center for Aquatic Health and Food Security (GCAHFS) and its Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Health Program — a collaboration between MSU and the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport.
Thomason noted that turtles have great geographic navigational skills, and they are likely to return to familiar areas, despite hazards they may encounter.
“We are giving these animals the opportunity to recover and thrive,” Thomason said. “It is inevitable that humans are going to come in contact with marine animals, and it should be our responsibility to help these animals if they need us—especially if we move into their environment.”
Along with Toast, a loggerhead sea turtle now known as “Mudpie” also came to MSU CVM with two fishhooks, one caught in its esophagus and the other lodged in its mouth. Both were successfully removed by Thomason, additional CVM faculty, and fourth-year veterinary students.
Through the GCAHFS Gulf Coast Aquatic Health Program, CVM faculty, staff, and students regularly play a key role in the rehabilitation of marine animals such as sea turtles.
Fourth-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine student Kathryn Rapp from Hamburg, N.Y., wants to pursue a career specializing in aquatic and exotic animals. She, along with several of her classmates, assisted and observed the procedure, gaining first-hand experience with the specialized case.
“This was the first time I have witnessed and assisted in using endoscopy to remove fishing hooks, it was an incredible learning experience,” Rapp said. “As a group, we reviewed anesthetic protocols for chelonians, learned how to safely restrain for the procedure, and discussed the upper airway anatomy of sea turtles. It was amazing to see students, staff, and doctors from so many departments of the hospital combine their knowledge and skills to help these endangered animals.”
Both turtles left the Starkville-based veterinary hospital the same day as the procedure and returned to the care of the GCAHFS on the Mississippi Gulf Coast for further rehabilitation. Thomason is hopeful they will be ready to be released back into their natural habitats at some point soon.
“They are not ready to be released yet. We need to make sure these turtles are eating, gaining weight, able to swim and dive,” Thomason said. “We need to make sure they can hunt. They need to show us that they can survive in the wild. I am optimistic they will both be released.”
