Grant: 20-001C
Project Title: Sea Turtle Handling & Transport
Project Manager: Heather W. Barron, DVM
Organization: Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (Non-Profit Organization)
Grant Amount: $10,258.09
Completion Date: 2024-07-09
Summary: The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife, Inc. (CROW) will purchase sea turtle hoisting, transport, storage, and weighing system for larger patients undergoing hospitalization and rehabilitation. This includes a newly designed hoist that would allow adult sea turtles to be safely lifted from their tanks and moved onto a special gurney for transport into the hospital for care as needed, or onto the scale for routine weight monitoring. It additionally includes a new outdoor storage area to keep this equipment in good condition when not in use.
Results: CROW admitted 86 sea turtle patients during this time period for treatment and rehabilitative care. They presented to the hospital with a variety of injuries and ailments including congenital deformities (hatchlings), boat injuries, predator attacks, fishing line entanglement/hook ingestion, adverse impacts of environmental toxins, and systemic diseases. CROW hospital staff provide the necessary medical/surgical attention and subsequent rehabilitation for these sea turtles to heal and be introduced back into their natural habitats or humane euthanasia where indicated. CROW purchased a transport gurney which has been used routinely to transport large (in some cases > 250 lbs) sea turtles. Additionally, CROW also purchased a heavy-duty stainless-steel scale that we mounted on wheels to allow it to be easily rolled and used tank-side. We ordered and installed the storage shed tank-side for sea turtle equipment. Finally, we purchased a hoist and installed a support beam in our dedicated sea turtle rehabilitation building. The hoist and support equipment are capable of supporting up to 500 pounds! The building's joists and cross beams were reinforced to allow this addition.