A turtle with a fishing line looped tightly around its neck was saved by hero conservationists.
The sea creature was spotted struggling off the shore.
A photographer – named Rafael – alerted Projeto Aruanã and other non-profit organisations to its plight.
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He said “I took a photo of this turtle that’s unfortunately tangled up in something.
“It was at Flechas Beach, right in front of the ‘I Love Niterói’ monument.
“Turtles usually return to the same spots.
“This one needs help.”
A team from Projeto Aruanã, which conducts research and conservation work on sea turtles, went to the beach in Niterói near Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The team members spent all of Saturday (24 Aug) trying to save the desperate animal, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
Undeterred, they returned the next day (25 Aug), as reported by Need To Know.
Video footage shows how a team member managed to grab the turtle in the water.
After taking it to the sand, the team carefully uncoiled the sport fishing line from around its neck.
Team member Suzana Guimarães explained at the time: “She has a lot of swelling in her neck and is still struggling to breathe.
“So we’ll need to send her for rehabilitation.”
Projeto Aruanã revealed: “The Santos Basin Beach Monitoring Project was called in to handle the rescue and send the animal to a specialised rehabilitation centre.
“The turtle was measured at 52.7 cm in shell length and was tagged by the project.
“We’re hoping for a speedy recovery so she can return to her home soon.”
Mafe commented: “Congratulations, everyone.
“You’re amazing at everything you do.”
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