Thailand's coin-eating turtle unconscious after 2nd surgery

A Thai veterinarian says a 25-year-old sea turtle has slipped into a coma two weeks after it had life-saving surgery to remove 915 coins from its stomach

Representational picture

Bangkok: A Thai veterinarian says a 25-year-old sea turtle has slipped into a coma two weeks after it had life-saving surgery to remove 915 coins from its stomach.

Tourists seeking good fortune had tossed loose change into a public pond where the turtle, nicknamed Bank, lived in Chonburi province, about 175 kilometers (110 miles) southeast of Bangkok. Eventually, the money formed a 5-kilogram (11-pound) weight that cracked Bank's shell.

Veterinarian Nantarika Chansue removed the coins March 6 in an hours-long operation. But a checkup Saturday revealed problems with the turtle's intestines and doctors performed a second operation.

In a Facebook posting yesterday, the veterinarian said Bank had not woken up since the operation and was in "very serious" condition.

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