Coin-eating turtle swims back to health
Print Edition
A sea turtle dubbed “Piggy Bank” for swallowing nearly 1,000 coins took swimming lessons yesterday as she embarked on a rehabilitation program following the removal of the treasure trove by Thai surgeons.
The hapless reptile underwent a seven-hour operation in Bangkok last week to remove 5 kilograms of coins from her digestive tract — good luck pennies thrown into the pool she swam in.
The story of her plight and successful operation went viral, with headlines around the world.
Yesterday the 25-year-old turtle, called “Omsin” (Piggy Bank), paddled around a small pool with relative ease.
Nantarika Chansue, a vet in charge of Chulalongkorn hospital’s aquatic research center, said she was overjoyed by just how much movement Omsin had gained in her flippers since the operation.
“Before this she didn’t use her left side at all, because every time she moved it probably was painful,” she said as her patient splashed around. “Look at her now, she’s fully using all the limbs very effectively.”
The troubled reptile lived for two decades in a small public park in Chonburi province.
Visitors tossed coins into her fountain seeking to “make merit” or good luck.
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