WEST ORANGE, N.J. (1010 WINS) — The Sea Turtle Recovery hospital at the Turtle Back Zoo in New Jersey was struck by lightning on Wednesday night, setting the building ablaze and displacing the sea turtle patients, both organizations said on Thursday.
Sea Turtle Recovery received a call from zoo staff at 9:40 p.m. informing it of the lightning strike, the environmental conservation nonprofit said in a social media post . Upon arrival, the West Orange Fire Department and other officials were already working to stop the flames.
The sea turtles were exposed to heavy smoke, and they were quickly moved to a safe building inside the zoo for tirage.
“The turtles did seem a little distressed by the smoke, they were all active and swimming normally, but were surfacing a little more than normal, so we do believe the smoke was bothering them,” Bill Deerr, co-executive director of Sea Turtle Recovery in the Turtle Back Zoo, told 1010 WINS. “We did everything we could to get them out of that area and into another safe space as quickly as possible.”
Deerr spoke about some of the turtles who were affected, including a critically endangered Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle named Pickles, who was in the hospital fighting a respiratory infection.
An emergency exam showed that Pickles’ heart rate was dangerously low. The Sea Turtle Recovery staff was immediately given instruction by Dr.
Paluch, the organization’s veterinarian, to administer medication. He then swam in an emergency pool to stimulate deeper breathing.
Pickles is now exhibiting normal behavior, the conservation group said.
A Loggerhead, Green Sea Turtle and all three Kemp Ridleys were stabilized and transferred to the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, located four hours away on Long Island.
Sea Turtle Recovery staff are still preparing tanks, buying food and finding shifts to rest at a local hotel. All necessary medicines are with them, the organization said.
Damage had not been assessed as of Thursday morning, and Sea Turtle Recovery does not know all of the filtration and tank damage that was done.
“We're coming into our busy cold stun season this fall where we tend to get 800 to 1000 turtles washing up along the coastline in the northeast region. So, we need to get back online as soon as possible,” Deerr said.
The organization, which is the only long-term care hospital in the state, has released 122 animals in its seven-year history.
“This is not something you ever expect to happen to you, or your facility. So it's definitely been a bit of an emotional roller coaster,” Deerr said. “Stressful, but right now we’re just focusing on our patients, making sure that they are healthy and taken care of.”
The Turtle Back Zoo was still open for its final summer late night hours on Thursday, 10 a.m. through 7 p.m., but acknowledged in a social media post the damage to the Sea Turtle Recovery hospital building, which was closed.
To donate to Sea Turtle Recovery, visit the organization’s website , or text “SEATURTLE” to 202-858-1233.
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