BANGKOK : Tourists in eastern Thailand used to toss coins at a green sea turtle that lived in a pond in eastern Thailand, wishing for luck and longevity. But swallowing the shiny tidbits turned out to be a death sentence for the reptile.
After having nearly a thousand coins removed from its stomach in a four-hour operation two weeks ago, the turtle — nicknamed "Omsin," or "Piggy Bank," — died Tuesday.
Omsin, estimated to be 25 years old, had been rescued by Thai navy personnel who saw her visibly ailing in the seaside town of Sattahip. She was then examined by a veterinarian, who found the coins inside her stomach.
The story attracted international media attention, and a public clamor to ease Omsin's plight ensued. The weight of the money inside her had cracked her underside shell, and threatened a fatal infection.
The cause of death was intestinal obstruction that blocked Omsin's protein intake, while nickel toxicity from the coins damaged her immune system, said Dr. Roongroje Thanawongnuwech, dean of the veterinary school at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University.
The turtle had appeared to be doing well after the operation, but a checkup Saturday revealed problems with her intestines. Doctors performed a second, 2 1/2 hour-operation, but Omsin never woke up and died Tuesday morning.
"She at least had the chance to swim freely and eat happily before she passed," said Dr. Nantarika Chansue, who led the team that removed 915 coins weighing 5 kilograms (11 pounds) from her stomach .
Thailand's coin-eating turtle dies of blood poisoning
Thailand's coin-eating turtle dies of blood poisoning
Small dog sole survivor of Peru helicopter crash that killed 15
- Rescue workers found the caramel-colored dog among the twisted wreckage of the Mi-17 helicopter
- Local media reported that the dog appeared OK, but as a precaution was taken to a veterinary clinic
LIMA: The only survivor of a military helicopter crash in southern Peru that killed 15 people was a small dog belonging to a colonel who was among the passengers, an air force source told AFP Tuesday.
Rescue workers found the caramel-colored dog among the twisted wreckage of the Mi-17 helicopter that crashed Sunday. It was lying next to the body of its owner, Col. Javier Nole, 50, who was on board with his wife and two daughters.
“It’s Col. Nole’s pet; it’s the only survivor,” the source, who requested anonymity, told AFP.
Local media reported that the dog appeared OK, but as a precaution was taken to a veterinary clinic.
Seven children were among the 15 fatalities when the Russian-made aircraft crashed in the Arequipa region. The helicopter had been recently deployed in rescue operations for victims of floods there.
It had taken off from the city of Pisco, in the Ica region. Rescuers located the wreckage on Monday just over 300 kilometers (186 miles) away near Chala Viejo, a town close to the Pacific coast in Arequipa.
The air force has launched an investigation to determine the cause of the accident.
