Richard The Great

Age Class	Juvenile
Gender	Unknown
Date Stranded	January 7, 2011
Location of Stranding	Stump Pass Marina, Englewood FL, Charlotte County
Date of Arrival	January 7, 2011
Number of Days of Care	136

Released on May 23, 2011


Richard upon admission to the hospital.	Richard upon admission to the hospital.
1/8 Richard was brought to Mote's Sea Turtle Hospital and arrived with many fibropapilloma tumors, including tumors in both eyes. The turtle also suffers from barnacle obstruction on the nose and mouth. Richard was given fluids and blood work submitted for testing. The turtle was tested in low water and seems to be doing well. 1/18 Richard has started to eat on his own but still is not strong enough to go into deeper water. 1/30 Richard had surgery to remove the numerous tumors that coverd the eyes and body. The turtle recovered quickly and was eating again by the next day. 2/25 Richard has continued to do well and was moved to a larger medical pool. Richard eats more and gets stronger each day. 3/28 Richard has continued to heal and get stronger. 4/25 Richard is continuing to do well and has become very active. 5/18 Richard has healed from surgery and looks great. We have applied for release and hopefully he will be released next week! 5/23 Today Richard the Great was released on World Turtle Day!

Sick sea turtles like Richard the Great need our help. All sea turtle species are either threatened or endangered, so helping sick or injured animals regain their health so they can be returned to the wild is important to help their species recover. Please make a donation today to support Mote's Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital.