It’s a sad day for the team at Nature Trust who are mourning the loss of little Mel, a loggerhead turtle they rescued back in June. Unfortunately, due to some complications, she is now swimming free with the angel turtles.

“Rest in peace sweet Mel. Swim free now...,” Nature Trust wrote in a tribute post. “Unfortunately we have some bad news. Mel who arrived at our rescue centre on the 26 of June from Marsaxlokk, has sadly passed away,” they announced.

“She had lines coming out from mouth and back part and she had ingested a hook. They both caused a serious infection. This hook could not be removed by a surgery. Mel was very weak and had stopped eating. We had force-fed her to restore her strength and we saw only a slight improvement. Mel suffered from serious infection and inflammation. We did everything we could to save Mel by following the instructions of our vet, Dr Gruppetta.”

“It's always a sad day at the centre when one of our turtles passes away, but we have to keep working for all of the turtles that are relying on us,” they said. Nature Trust also shared an appeal to anyone who finds a turtle in this state. “If you find a turtle that has swallowed a hook, don't pull of line, the hook could damage important organs. Please, call the Wildlife Rescue Team: +356 9999 9505”

Locals who were following Mel's progresses have taken to the comments section expressing their sympathy and also thanks to Nature Trust for their hardwork with turtles like Mel.