No thanks to people's superstition, a 25-year-old turtle ended up swallowing a total of 915 coins over the years.
In Thailand, there’s a superstition about throwing coins into a pond that has a turtle living in it. Apparently, people believe that this would drive away bad luck and bring good fortune. Moreover, they think that the coin thrower would also be given the turtle’s long life. It was this belief that led to one unfortunate turtle swallowing 915 coins.
You see, the turtle — which is estimated to be 25 years old — had been living in a pond in the Sri Racha district in Thailand’s Chonburi province. It so happened that the local authorities had decided to develop the area where the pond was located.
That said, the people wanted to make sure that the turtles living in the pond would not be disturbed during the landscaping and construction work in the area. As such, they carefully gathered the 26 turtles in the area.
The turtles were taken to the Sea Turtle Conservation Center of the Royal Thai Navy in Chonburi’s Sattahip district. However, animal handlers noticed that one turtle appeared to be sick.
Indeed, upon closer inspection, it was noted that the turtle had an enlarged stomach. As a result, its ventral or underside shell had cracked and caused an infection.
Naturally, veterinarians were quite shocked when they did a CT scan on the turtle. They saw that its stomach was full of coins, which weighed roughly 11 pounds. If they weren’t removed, they would cause the turtle’s digestive system to shut down completely.
In his article for Forbes magazine, Erick Mack noted:
“Five veterinary surgeons from Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok spent over seven hours cutting a hole in the anesthetized turtle’s shell and then its stomach to remove the 915 coins it had swallowed over the years.”
Fortunately, the surgery was a success. The turtle is expected fully recover in about two months.
All things considered, veterinarians and animal rights advocates hope that the turtle’s ordeal would remind people to be more careful about what they do out of superstition. Unfortunately, a ritual to bring good luck threatened the turtle’s life.
Table of Contents: Introduction: The Significance of the March 14th Holiday The Mathematical Marvel: Unraveling…
Who made them disappear? What was the reason? Where did they go? Why? Gather round,…
Swarm of bees stings the eyes of penguins in Cape town 60 penguins died from…
A massive ocean sunfish measuring 2,000 kilograms was caught on North African Coast It is named Mola alexandrini or…
A businessman in Georgia utilized the Covid-19 relief to buy a limited edition Charizard Pokemon card He committed…
Man captures an alligator in his neighbor's yard in FloridaHe uses a trash can to…
This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience.
Leave a Comment