A sea turtle who reportedly pooped out plastic bags was found dead in Valladolid town, Negros Occidental yesterday.
It was discovered by resident Arnel Emplamado on the coastal lines of Purok Daisy, Barangay (Village) Poblacion, Village Captain Bill Kratzer told Coconuts Manila in a Facebook message.
Emplamado was just walking around the area when he saw the deceased reptile.
According to Kratzer, the sea turtle measured around 2 ft. in width and 3 ft. in length. “It looked a bit damaged, especially the tail part,” he said.
Residents said that they saw plastic bags coming out from the animal’s rectum, although the official cause of death was not determined.
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Valladolid town’s environmental department advised to bury the turtle, and so it was laid to rest near the coastal area where it was found at around 5pm on the same day.
According to a video by Seeker, turtles mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and eat them. “The ingested plastic can cause blockages in the stomach and intestines,” it reported. This proves to be a problem, especially in waters polluted with plastic waste.
A United Nations Environment Program status report from June last year revealed that the Philippines is one of only five countries that produce about half of the world’s plastic waste that ends up in oceans.
READ: Planet Plastic: The undying plastic problem on Manila’s Baseco Beach (Video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1LOrfKPXSE
