Shelly the turtle, a Nature Trust Malta rescue, was released back into the wild today after recovering from some grievous injuries.  

A little girl came to Shelly's rescue when she spotted the distressed turtle entangled in plastic on 1st June in Qawra. 

Sadly, Shelly's right front flipper was found entangled in marine debris, causing injury to the unsuspecting creature. 

The three-year old loggerhead turtle underwent treatment by Nature Trust Malta Vet Dr A Grupetta and luckily has recovered from all injuries. 

Wildlife Rescue Team Malta shared an adorable video of the moment Shelly was released back into the sea at Gnejna Bay.

The organisation also thanked the British High Commission for helping to purchase ITU equipment for wildlife rehabilitation. 

"The British High Commissioner recently supported the environmental organisation in purchasing three ITU chambers for Wildlife rehab. The chambers can take small animals such as baby turtles, hedgehogs, bats, etc. Like all ITU equipment, the chambers will be used to give weak animals the extra help they need to increase their chances of survival. Each chamber is equipped with humidity and temperature control, oxygen tanks and other features."

"With turtles being an endangered species and now that Climate Change is too having an impact on the turtle population, every little turtle we save is important," the post continues. 

The British High Commissioner, Ms Cathy Ward, said: “I am delighted to see first-hand the positive impact that the High Commission's support for Nature Trust has had, not only on Shelley but also in helping to save the lives of future vulnerable animals across Malta. This turtle's injuries also highlight the importance of proper waste disposal in protecting our seas.'" 

Activist Cami Appelgren also shared a video showing the release with the caption: "cleaning up the sea isn't enough. We need to reduce our waste creation at the source. Far from all litter in the environment comes from littering. A lot of it comes from bad waste management collection where items leak into the environment (follow any garbage truck and you'll see...)."

Cami encourages everyone to honour Shelly by reducing unnecessary household waste.

Wildlife Rescue Team Malta/ Facebook