The Brevard Zoo’s Sea Turtle Healing Center is preparing for a significant milestone in its mission to protect and preserve sea turtles. On January 25, the center will be releasing its 200th sea turtle, a sub-adult green sea turtle named Hope. This marks a significant achievement in the center’s rehabilitation efforts and will be celebrated with a special release event.
Hope was found in Indian River County, where the Healing Center receives around 18% of its patients, and brought to the center by volunteers with Coastal Connections, a nonprofit organization working to protect sea turtles and their habitats. The team found that Hope was suffering from an inflammation of the digestive tract and was unable to dive, putting her at risk in the ocean. After receiving radiographs, blood evaluations, physical exams, antibiotics, fluid therapy, and a CT scan at Rockledge Regional Medical Center, Hope was treated and is now ready to return to her natural habitat.
The release celebration, which is open to the public, will take place at Lori Wilson Park in Cocoa Beach and will feature a special presentation of the Brevard Zoo’s Turtle Tech initiative. The Turtle Tech program uses unmanned drone flights to better understand sea turtle species in Florida and around the world, and the release will be captured on video by a drone from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
Attendees are encouraged to wear blue or green to celebrate Hope’s return and to join in on the celebration of this significant milestone for the Brevard Zoo’s Sea Turtle Healing Center. The release will take place at 11:30 a.m. on the North side of Lori Wilson Park, and those attending are advised to arrive early to secure parking and a spot on the beach.
This release is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the Brevard Zoo’s Sea Turtle Healing Center and its partners in protecting and preserving sea turtles and their habitats.
