Image: Currumbin Wildlife Hospital Foundation via Storyful
Veterinarians at the Currumbin Wildlife Hospital Foundation in Queensland, Australia were able to salvage eggs from two eastern long-necked turtles that were brought into the operating room and had to be euthanized.
The turtles had attempted to cross the road. However, they got hit and were critically injured by cars. Veterinarians later found they had eggs in their reproductive systems.
“These turtles lay about four to 22 eggs and it takes around 60 [to] 80 days for them to hatch. We keep them in an incubator in our nursery and when they hatch, we will release them back into the pond near where mum was found,” a spokesperson for the hospital said. “It can sometimes take 24 hours for the eggs to hatch so we let the little ones rest first before release.”
The turtles, also known as snake-necked turtles, are frequently hit by vehicles, according to the New South Wales environmental department. KM
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