BREVARD COUNTY, Fla – Hope springs eternal at the Brevard Zoo.
Team members at the zoo’s Sea Turtle Healing Center released Hope, a sub-adult green sea turtle, back into the ocean off Cocoa Beach Wednesday, marking its 200th release to date.
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Volunteers with Coastal Connections, a nonprofit devoted to protect sea turtles and their habitats, found Hope stranded in Indian River County and brought her to the Brevard Zoo’s Sea Turtle Healing Center on Nov. 19.
The team thoroughly examined Hope before treating her for inflammation found in her digestive tract. This caused Hope to be extremely “buoyant,” meaning that she was unable to dive. This could be life-threatening as sea turtles typically dive to avoid boats, predators and other hazards they may come across.
Now that Hope’s time at the healing center has come to an end, team members will remember her as the “sassy sub-adult with a great fight or flight instinct.”
Hope is the 200th sea turtle the zoo has released.
Last month, the zoo also released two green sea turtles, LJ and Grindylow, after nursing them back to health.
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