Anglesey: Tiny turtle saved by dogs recovering well at zoo

Workers at Anglesey Sea Zoo said it was a 'miracle' that tiny sea turtle, Tonni, was still alive

A "miracle" turtle rescued off the north Wales coast is making good progress, its rescuers have said.

Two dogs helped prevent Tonni, a tiny loggerhead sea turtle, from being guzzled by gulls on Moel y Don beach on Anglesey on Thursday.

Tonni is now getting its strength back under hourly care in an incubator at Anglesey Sea Zoo.

Staff have warned that in future more turtles like Tonni could be found on Wales' coast as sea temperatures rise.

Though experts warn most cold stranded turtles often die within the first 48 hours, they say Tonni is making good progress.

'It's a miracle'

The tiny sea turtle has been named Tonni after the Welsh for wave

"It's the most amazing thing that Tonni is alive," said Frankie Hobro, owner of Anglesey Sea Zoo.

She said she had been giving specialist care to Tonni, named after the Welsh word for wave (ton), day and night.

"For such a tiny turtle, it can't have been there very long and it can't have been that far away otherwise it would be dead," she added. "It's a miracle."

Frankie Hobro, owner of Anglesey Sea Zoo, said it is a "miracle" that Tonni is still alive

The loggerhead turtle is the most common species of turtle and can be found throughout the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans and the Mediterranean Sea.

It is still a protected species and experts at the zoo say Tonni will remain in "critical care" in the incubator which is being gradually heated up.

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In 2016 a turtle later named Menai was found about a mile from where Tonni was discovered.

The zoo also came across Tally, a turtle found in Talacre last year, and say they expect to find more turtles in years to come due to rising sea temperatures.

The zoo say Tonni was in a critical condition when he was found

The zoo has been attempting to raise enough money to develop a purpose-built turtle sanctuary so they can save more turtles like Tonni.

"There's nowhere in the UK that is a purpose built turtle rescue facility," said Ms Hobro.

"We're getting to the stage now where we've muddled through two or three times and we did a really good job.

"But we want to guarantee that any turtle that gets stranded alive in the UK is given every possible chance to be saved."

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