Sabah Wildlife Rescue Unit tending to the green turtle.
TUARAN: A green turtle was rescued from Pantai Dalit at Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort & Spa recently after a guest of the resort together with a water sports staff saw it washed close to the beach.
The resort immediately notified the Sabah Wildlife Rescue Unit (WRU) which subsequently dispatched a team of veterinarians and rangers to check on the turtle.
The turtle was identified as the endangered green turtle, which is the most abundant species found in Malaysia.
It nests in great numbers on the sandy beaches and islands of Sabah and a few other states in Malaysia.
The WRU team and Rasa Ria Reserve Rangers joined hands to rescue the turtle.
The rescued green turtle is now under the care of the team from the WRU headed by senior veterinarian Dr Sen Nathan at the YTL Gaya Island Resort Turtle Rescue Centre and Marine Sanctuary.
Here it will be under observation and care of experts for the next few weeks as they try to nurse it back to health and eventually relocate it to a safe habitat.
Fiona Hagan, the general manager of Rasa Ria, said the resort advocates the protection of wildlife through conservation and education with the help of their dedicated 64-acre Forest Reserve.
She said the resort collaborates with various partners such as the Sabah Wildlife Department and Sabah Park and Wildlife Rescue Unit among others to drive the importance of conservation and protection of wildlife.
It was a privilege to shoulder the responsibility of rescuing this turtle along with the experts from Sabah Wildlife Rescue Unit.
“The resort also supports ocean health and marine life through its No Plastics Campaign (launched in February 2018) by successfully eliminating the use of plastic straws, single-use plastic bottles, reducing plastic bags as well as increasing knowledge and awareness on the importance of reducing human impact on the ocean,” added Hagan.
The rescued green turtle being handled by Sabah Wildlife Rescue personnel.