Lucky Turtle Released After Having Fish Hook Removed

An Eastern long-necked turtle has been returned to the wild, Werribee Open Range Zoo said, after having surgery to remove a fish hook from its oesophagus.

The turtle, named Barron by staff, was brought to the zoo after a local fisherman spotted it entangled in a line.

This clip, released by the zoo, shows Barron having the hook removed and being released back into the Barwon River.

The zoo said the number of fishing-related wildlife injuries they had seen had increased this summer.

“In the same week, Werribee Open Range Zoo vets were presented with a silver gull and Pacific gull, both of whom had ingested fish hooks,” veterinarian Dr Jen O’Dwyer said. “It’s quite unusual for us to see so many admissions in a short time, and across Zoos Victoria, we are seeing more and more.” Credit: Werribee Open Range Zoo via Storyful