- Title: Dead turtle entangled in plastic found off Rio bay
- Date: 4th September 2021
- Summary: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (SEPTEMBER 4, 2021) (REUTERS) TURTLE WRAPPED IN PLASTIC BAG FLOATING IN THE SEA RIO RESIDENT ANTONIO PEREIRA DOS SANTOS TAKING OFF SHOES AT BEACH SHORE PEREIRA DOS SANTOS TAKING OFF SOCKS AND LOOKING AT TURTLE PEREIRA DOS SANTOS ENTERING SEA / SWIMMING TOWARDS TURTLE / REMOVING PLASTIC BAG FROM TURTLE (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) BIOLOGIST, MARIO MOSCATELLI, SAYING: "These animals are currently abundant in Guanabara Bay. Unfortunately, they are victims of several problems such as fishermen, sewage and the ingestion of waste, mainly plastic, which they mistake for food. The animal feeds on the plastic, thinking it is food and ends up dying from asphyxiation. Unfortunately, this is a reality in Guanabara Bay." PEREIRA DOS SANTOS TOUCHING TURTLE AND IT FLOATING IN THE SEA PEREIRA DOS SANTOS COMING OUT OF THE SEA (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) RIO RESIDENT, ANTONIO PEREIRA DOS SANTOS, SAYING: "It's a beautiful place, but when we find this, we get sad. I was sad and tried to do something to save the turtle. People keep taking pictures, and then it doesn't solve the problem." DEAD TURTLE FLOATING IN THE SEA GENERAL OF BEACH
- Embargoed: 18th September 2021 22:10
- Keywords: Plastic bag Rio de Janeiro animals beach nature ocean turtle
- Location: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
- City: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
- Country: Brazil
- Topics: Environment,South America / Central America,Nature/Wildlife
- Reuters ID: LVA001ETAZZGN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A dead sea turtle with a plastic bag wrapped around its neck was found floating off Guanabara's bay in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday (September 4).
Pensioner Antonio Pereira Dos Santos was spending the day at the bay when he came across the beached animal trapped in plastic. Thinking it could be rescued, he jumped into the sea but the turtle was already dead.
Biologist Mario Moscatelli said he believes the bag suffocated the turtle or acted as an anchor, pulling it underwater where it drowned.
Every year, hundreds of animals are killed or hurt by sewage and plastic waste in Rio de Janeiro waters.
Eleven million tons of plastic are discarded into the ocean every year, according to the United Nations Environment Programme. Plastic debris can be deadly to seabirds and marine life, with hundreds and thousands of marine mammals dying each year by consuming or being trapped in plastic waste.
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