Sea turtles.Photo: Sea Turtle, Inc
A team of volunteers has been working to rescue thousands of “cold-stunned” turtles from the unprecedented Winter Storm Uri wreaking havoc in Texas.
Unlike other sea animals, turtles are not able to survive in freezing temperatures. According to theFlorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, turtles can experience “cold stun” in extremely low temperatures and become unable to move. This puts them at risk of death from shock, starvation or predation.
Sea Turtle, Inc
Amid the unprecedented winter storm, millions of homes and businesses in the southern state have had no power for days. On Monday, Wendy Knight, the executive director at Sea Turtle, Inc., warned that their efforts would be"in vain" if they didn’t restore powerto their facility soon.
Thankfully, Knight confirmed to CBS on Wednesday morning that SpaceX provided the organization with a generator. They were able to restore power in their main facility and warm up the water for the turtles.
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“We do not yet know if this was in time to save our patients in the hospital but this is a huge step forward,” Knight said. “This is what putting passion into action means and the service they provided us this morning will save countless turtles and will be something we are truly grateful for.”
Sea turtles.Sea Turtle, Inc
However, the non-profit said they are receiving hundreds of turtles each day from volunteers and that they have now reached capacity, forcing them to send rescued turtles to South Padre Island’s convention center, which remains without heat and water.
“We have been working off of generators to charge our phones and spotlights at night,” a spokesperson for the center told CBS. “The convention center has been keeping the sea turtles from the cold elements and has been allowing them to come out of this cold-stunned shock.”
Sea turtles aren’t the only wildlife suffering through the severe cold front.CNN reportedthat several animals froze to death at a primate sanctuary in San Antonio.
“I never, ever thought my office would turn into a morgue, but it has,” Brooke Chavez, executive director of Primarily Primates, told theSan Antonio Express-Newson Tuesday.
Many Texas residents are also bringing farm animals into their homes to keep them from dying in the cold, according to CBS.
Texas is a state that does not often experience large amounts of snowfall or freezing temperatures. The historic storm has left over 2 million families in the dark for days as theElectric Reliability Council of Texasworks to restore power. Here’show you can help.
source: people.com
