A netizen going by the alias of Kenny Tay on Facebook recently posted an image of a Hawksbill Turtle on Facebook in the group Singapore Wildlife Sightings.
Carcass was washed up
The turtle, who was dead when discovered by Tay, was found on Changi Beach.
Tay and family were walking along Changi Bay Point at around 8am when they noticed the carcass of the turtle.
It was seen filled with barnacles on its back and its neck and front flippers already had signs of discolouration.
Tay then reported the sighting to the National Parks Board (NParks) via the e-service app.
Critically endangered species
Hawksbill turtles are often found in the Atlantic, Pacific and the Indian Oceans and are a species which are critically endangered.
The shells which they don are brown with some irregular spots which are yellow and orange in colour.
They also have a distinct beak shape, as their upper jaw protrudes over the lower one.
Female hawksbill turtles are regularly spotted at the Singapore strait and they come to East Coast Park to lay eggs at times.
Netizens speculated on the cause of its death
Netizens commented on the Facebook post speculating the cause of the turtle’s death.
Here are some of the speculations:
- Huge infection, probably abdomen full of air and unable to submerge much. Those barnacles are huge. Poor poor thing
- So sad. Often wildlife eat our plastic waste and die as a result.
- I hope it’s a natural death.
Here is what you can do if you spot a carcass
Anyone who spots the carcasses of dead wildlife can reach out to the relevant authorities with the following methods:
- Acres 24h Wildlife Rescue Hotline: 9783 7782
- NParks Animal Response Centre: 1800 476 1600
Image source: Kenny Tay/Facebook