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Injured turtle on the mend

The first loggerhead turtle handed in this season was recovering at the Dolphin Discovery Centre yesterday after being found on a Bunbury beach.

Nicknamed Sid, the endangered turtle was missing most its front right flipper when it was found on the beach 200m from Mangles Street by a beach walker.

Sid would be taken to Perth Zoo for a check-up before he returned to the centre in Bunbury for rehabilitation.

Centre aquarist Jan Tierney said despite the damaged fin and being in a poor physical condition Sid could be returned to the wild.

The turtle was covered in algae and had barnacles attached to his shell and back fin.

She said vets at Perth Zoo would check he had not swallowed any plastic and was otherwise healthy before he was returned to staff at the centre.

Mrs Tierney said it was important that people did not put turtles found on the beach back in the water.

Sid, who was likely born around Shark Bay in February, would have been swept out of the warm Leeuwin Current by storms.

Mrs Tierney said once Sid was in the cold water he would not have been able to function or feed properly.

“Only one in 1000 loggerheads survive to maturity,” she said.

“When they wash up on the beach they either get found by people or become part of the food chain.”

Sid will keep his nickname until the centre’s open day on October 18 when a competition to name him will be held.

Report any turtles washed up on the beach to Department of Parks and Wildlife’s Wildcare hotline on 9474 9055.

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