The tsunami that devastated Indonesia earlier this month did unbelievable amounts of damage to local families and communities. At the time of this writing, at least 430 people are confirmed dead, and the death toll rises with each passing day as more victims are discovered. Dozens of people are still missing and haven’t been heard from by loved ones.
Image Credit: Pixabay
But people weren’t the only ones impacted by the tsunami; so too were the native ecosystems, especially those that call the surrounding ocean their home. Distressed animals can be found throughout the rubble, and one sort in particular appears to have captivated the attention of local animal lovers: sea turtles.
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Kind-hearted volunteers allegedly gathered at impacted beaches throughout Indonesia in search of stranded sea turtles, many of which are recognized as threatened or endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Dozens have already been rescued, but there could be more.
Many of the sea turtles were entangled in surrounding debris, inhibiting them from getting back to the ocean where they belong. After a glance, none of the animals appeared to be injured, but they were undoubtedly starving from their inability to hunt and eat.
Related: Sea turtles use their flippers to handle food too
Volunteers are not only locating the stranded sea turtles but freeing them from their entanglements and attempting to get them back to the water (a challenging task considering how fully-grown sea turtles can weigh hundreds of pounds). But the volunteers weren’t the only ones that took notice of all the readily-available sea turtles:
“Some fishermen tried to get the turtles, maybe to eat them, but I told them not to,” explained Eko Sulistio, the organizer of the volunteer-based animal rescue group. “They loaded them on a motorbike, but I stopped them and warned them that the turtles were protected by law.”
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Despite what appeared to be an indication of nefarious activities, the volunteers successfully prevented many distressed sea turtles from meeting any fate besides returning home where they belonged.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling to see them returned to the ocean, their flippers touching the water. It’s the most beautiful scene.”
It’s always great to hear heart-warming success stories such as this after natural disasters strike. The volunteers are setting a great example.
You can also check Fuzzy Rescue for interesting pet care tips.
Source: The Guardian
