Injured sea turtle finds new home in Scotland

April the sea turtle has not had the easiest couple of years...

Back in 2019, she was discovered in the ocean tangled up in netting with a plastic bag around her neck.

April was taken to the Turtle Rehabilitation Centre in the Maldives for treatment, where vets soon realised she was missing her front right flipper and had a lung infection.

Sadly this meant that April would not be able to return to the wild.

April has arrived safely at Loch Lomond Sea Life centre in Scotland

But thanks to the efforts of conservationists, she has found a new home 5,000 miles away from the Maldives - in Scotland!

Slightly different climate, but nothing a good heated tank can't solve!

April's new home is at Sea Life Loch Lomond, where she joins five other rehabilitated turtles.

Plastic pollution is a huge problem in the Maldives and dangerous to sea life

Kathryn Angel, Sea Life Loch Lomond's general manager, said: "We are thrilled to welcome April to the Loch Lomond family. She has settled in brilliantly. To have a turtle in our facility once again is a real pleasure.

Andy Torbet, Sea Life Trust ambassador, said: "Being re-homed to the Sea Life Centre is great for April, it's going to give her the best quality of life that she can have for the remainder of her life.

"When you see an injured turtle up close and personal with injuries caused by ghost nets and plastic pollution, that sort of issue is driven home a lot more intensely."