DECATUR, Ala. — History was made this week as Decatur Morgan Hospital admitted its first-ever animal patient. A Kemp's ridley sea turtle named Kale was taken in for a CT scan to monitor healing from an infection.
Kale is housed at the Cook Museum of Natural Science after a stint at the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center. According to his biography at the museum's website, the endangered animal was accidentally caught on a hook by a fisherman off a pier on Chesapeake Bay in Virginia back in 2019.
The hook had to be removed via several invasive surgeries, which left Kale with wounds that didn't fully heal and created scar tissue. He also developed a fistula, a hollow space that can become infected if not cleaned regularly.
Cook Museum said in a Facebook post that Kale is currently suffering from a deep infection of the shell. A CT scan is the best tool to monitor the progress of Kale's treatments.
It's estimated that Kale's medical treatments cost about $6,000 per year, which is why the museum solicits donations from the public to benefit his treatment plan.
About the turtles
The Sea Turtle Conservancy estimates there are between 7-9,000 nesting Kemp's ridley females in the wild. The number of active nests faces a steep decline, they say, due to shrimp trawlers that disturb and/or destroy the nests as they work.
An adult Kemp's ridley can weigh between 70-108 pounds and are thought to live into their 30s. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says their primary threat, as Kale found out, is unintended capture in fishing gear, an event called "bycatch." Ridleys are usually caught up in hooks, nets, traps, and trawls.