Animal rescuers helped disentangle a leatherback sea turtle that was caught in fishing gear off Cape Cod on Sunday after its plight was spotted by fisherman, the Associated Press reported.
The large turtle was in good condition and swam away quickly after being released back into the wild, according to a spokeswoman for the Center for Coastal Studies Marine Animal Entanglement response team.
The number of animal entanglements in the Cape Cod area has increased in the past year, the Boston Globe reported. The summer months tend to see more leatherback turtle entanglements since they migrate through the Cape Code area at this time of year.
"A few years ago we averaged about 10 cases of entangled leatherbacks a year," said Scott Landry, director of the Marine Animal Entanglement Response Team at the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies, as quoted by the Boston Globe. "Last year we encountered 50 ... We do not know the exact reason behind this increase, but it could be due to the rising water temperatures in Cape Cod."
The leatherback turtle, which is the largest living turtle species in the world, is categorized as "vulnerable" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species.
The turtle rescued on Sunday ran into trouble when its left flipper became tangled in fishing gear, which uses tough rope. While it was the first report of an animal entanglement in Cape Cod Bay, Sunday marked the sixth tangled animal in the region so far this season. The turtle was probably not caught in the fishing gear for long, Landry said.
"When leatherbacks are tangled, they are not likely to die immediately . . . but they are big enough that they can carry the fishing gear away in its entirety," said Landry, as quoted by the Boston Globe.
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