Xanchi

adult male Olive Ridley turtle (RB.LO.234), admitted 6 January 2023, Noonu Atoll, Maldives

Weight / Length: 28.0kg / 63.0cm (on admittance);

Xanchi was found by our Four Seasons colleagues, badly entangled in a ghost fishing net and marine detritus, close to the uninhabited island of Raafushi island (Noonu Atoll). He is our first new turtle patient in 2023, and unusually is a male Olive Ridley turtle (we normally encounter injured females or juveniles of this species).

Unfortunately, the net had cut into Xanchi’s flippers – he has one deep cut on the right front flipper, as well as less severe wounds on the other three flippers. All wounds show signs of healing, indicating that Xanchi had been trapped in the net for some time, probably a period of weeks.

Although these injuries will take time to heal, Xanchi is very strong and active, and there is no reason currently which will prevent him from being released once his injuries have healed.

February 2023

Xanchi is making good progress; his less severe wounds have healed and the remaining laceration to his fore-flipper is healing well.
As he has no buoyancy issues, once this remaining wound has healed he will spend a short period in our ocean enclosure out in Landaa’s lagoon, as part of his rehabilitation program prior to release.

March

Xanchi is making good progress, but he has not been using his injured flipper for the last couple of weeks.

April

Xanchi is healthy and active. His less severe wounds have healed, and the remaining laceration to his fore-flipper is healing well, however he is not using it and it appears swollen, so we started a course of antibiotics. Once the course of antibiotics is over, and Dr. Kat is satisfied with his healing progress, he will spend a short period in our ocean enclosure as part of his rehabilitation program prior to release.

May

Xanchi is making good progress. He has finished the course of antibiotics started in April, and his shoulder wound has reduced significantly in depth and width (though the bone is still visible).

Xanchi has now been moved out to our lagoon enclosure as part of his rehabilitation process, prior to release; he comfortably dives and rests on the bottom netting, but is still not using his right front flipper. Since the move, he has shown very little interest in the food we bring him daily, and will only eat when handfed. He otherwise appears in good health.

June

Xanchi is making progress but at a slower rate; his shoulder wound has reduced in both depth and width and hopefully is now in the final stages of healing. He is making full use of the ocean pen, and is frequently found resting on the netting, but he is still not using his right front flipper.
Xanchi continues to show very little interest in the food we bring him daily, and most of it is taken by the small fish population he shares the pen with. He shows no loss of condition, appears in good health, and is putting up more of a struggle for his weekly wound checks – a good sign for his eventual release.

July

Xanchi was removed from our ocean enclosure and brought back to the rehabilitation centre following the discovery of an infection during one of his wound check-ups. Since his return, wound-cleaning has been much easier and he has been observed feeding much more regularly than during his time in the seapen. Perhaps as a result, his healing appears to have significantly sped up; he has completed a course of antibiotics, and his remaining wound is now almost closed. We are confident that he will be released in early August!

6 August … release day!

Xanchi is back home 💙 Embracing freedom again after exactly 7 months of recovery at our rehabilitation centre at Landaa.

During his stay at Landaa, Xanchi was eventually able to dive down and heal his wounds after a course of antibiotics.

Special recognition to our turtle biologist Ed and our veterinarian Dr. Kat for their efforts in taking care of him these 8 months, as well as our interns & apprentices👏🏻

We wish him the best journey ahead ✨