This Poor Turtle Grew Until His Shell Cracked, The Heartbreaking Reason Shocked Rescuers!

Sea turtles are some of the most majestic and beautiful sea creatures! Some countries even believe in the sea turtle's ability to grant them luck in life.

In Bangkok, there is a belief that throwing coins on turtles will bring longevity in life for those casting the coin. 

Unfortunately, for a female sea turtle named Bank, this superstition turned into a life threatening situation for this poor turtle.

Tourists who were looking for some good luck would toss coins onto Bank's shell and then she would eat them. After 25-year-old Bank had been eating coins for years, her stomach continued to grow and grow. With all the weight of the undigested coins, her shell eventually cracked which led to an infection. 

Rescuers had to step in to save this precious life. Bank went in for a four surgery where doctors removed 915 coins from her belly! All those coins added up to 11 pounds! 

As of now, Bank is still recovering but has been doing well. She has even flapped her flippers during her first swim!

The head surgeon who worked on Bank said she was upset by what the humans did to this poor sea turtle, “I felt angry that humans, whether or not they meant to do it or if they did it without thinking, had caused harm to this turtle,” said Nantarika Chansue, head of Chulalongkorn University’s veterinary medical aquatic animal research center.

We are so happy to hear that Bank is on the road to recovery and hope she makes a complete comeback!

Watch the video below to see Bank and the coins that were removed from her!

What do you think about this story? Did this tug on your heartstrings too?

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