‘Piggy bank’ turtle dies despite op

BANGKOK: A 25-year-old Thai sea turtle died from blood poisoning, never recovering from an operation to remove 915 coins from her stomach, thrown into her pool for good luck, veterinarians said.

The green turtle who lived at a conservation centre in Chonburi was rushed into intensive care on Sunday night, breathing too slowly.

She received an emergency operation on Monday after which she went into a coma and died yesterday. Her fate had preoccupied Thais, who cherish turtles as a symbol of longevity. — Reuters