Final Disposition
Released
06/10/2016 Animal found floating in the Banana River and taken to the Brevard Zoo
06/11/2016 Animal was transported to Mote Marine Lab. Animal is in good body condition (weight: 30.2 kg), but has a partially healed propeller wound to carapace and a few small fibro papilloma tumors. Started on antibiotics and fluid therapy.
06/16/2016 Avalon continues to float so is being kept in shallow water. Will eat small amounts of fish hidden in sea grass. Keeping diet offered low due to a lot of gas evident in GI tract on radiographic examination.
06/23/2016 Avalon is still floating, but is eating much better and will eat shrimp, capelin, and squid in addition to sea grass and romaine lettuce.
06/27/2016 Avalon was seen swimming along the bottom of the tank!
07/08/2016 Water was raised to full depth. Avalon is now foraging all food types.
09/02/2016 Animal continues to improve. Boat strike wound is healing, but will take time due to severity.
10/22/2016 Avalon is eating well, behaving normally, is still receiving oral antibiotics, and is receiving wound care every couple weeks.
12/23/2016 Animal’s wounds continue to heal well. Avalon is very active and in good health otherwise. Oral antibiotics were discontinued.
01/07/2017 Avalon’s boat strike wound is continuing to heal. Animal is behaving normally.
04/10/2017 Avalon’s boat strike wounds to the carapace have almost completely healed except for one small area which is still fairly deep.
06/14/2017 Avalon was released by Mote staff and interns in the Banana River area on the east coast!