Turtles pass out when it’s cold… 2,500 animals rescued in Texas, USA [영상]

Sea turtles stunned off the coast of South Padre on the island of Texas, USA in the cold. [트위터 캡처]

Sea turtles can be seen all over the coast of South Padre on the island of Texas, USA. Even when the cold waves come, there is no motion, and it looks as if it is dead. However, these turtles are stunned. This is due to a record cold wave.

The Hill et al. reported on the 16th (current time) that 2,500 sea turtles were rescued on this island alone, including hundreds of them stunned.

Sea turtles fainted by the cold wave are rushing to the shore. [트위터 캡처]

In the south-central United States, the severe cold, accompanied by storms and heavy snow, has continued for several days. In the case of Texas, where the temperature remained above 10 degrees even in winter, the temperature dropped to -18 to 22 degrees Celsius after 30 years. Amid blackouts and frequent human damage, sea turtles, vulnerable to cold, are also suffering.

Turtles are cold-blooded animals whose body temperature changes depending on the outside temperature. If the temperature drops below 10 degrees Celsius, you become lethargic, and your athletic ability decreases, making you unable to swim. This is why the coastal waters of Texas, which are warm even in winter, have become a major habitat for turtles.

The fountain also froze as temperatures in Texas, known for being warm in winter, dropped to -22 degrees Celsius. [AP=연합뉴스]

However, as a record cold wave hit this place in 30 years or so, hundreds of turtles who could not adapt to it were fainted. Among these turtles were also the endangered green sea turtle. The tortoises, paralyzed all over, floated on the cold sea and were pushed to the shore. The risk of hitting a boat or being eaten by predators was also a great situation.

Upon hearing this, a rescue team composed of volunteers rushed to the island. Volunteers carried the turtles in their cars or boats to warm shelters. Warm blankets were placed in the back seats of the car to keep the turtle warm on the go. “We rescued 185 turtles in two days by boat,” said one volunteer. Tortoises are currently recovering in shelters under the care of volunteers.

The rescued Texas turtles are loaded onto blanketed cars and headed for shelter. [트위터 캡처]

Turtles moved to a shelter. [트위터 캡처]

The U.S. Meteorological Administration predicts that the severe cold will continue until the 20th. On the 15th, a cold wave warning was issued in 25 states including Texas. In 25 states, there are 150 million inhabitants, nearly half of the total US population.

Icicles formed on a man’s beard on the 15th in Illinois, USA. [AP=연합뉴스]

Citizens are moving to ski in a park in Illinois, USA, after heavy snowfall on the 16th. [EPA=연합뉴스]

It snowed on 70% of the U.S. land, and seven states, including Alabama, Oklahoma, Kentucky, and Texas, declared an emergency disaster. CNN reported that there was also a power outage, which cut power supply to 5.5 million households in 18 states due to a shutdown of power generation facilities.

More than 20 people have died from this extreme cold, such as the death of grandmothers and children in a fire caused by a power outage.

Experts believe that the cause of this cold wave is global warming. As the temperature of the Arctic Ocean rose, a strong high-pressure vortex occurred, which caused the cold Arctic air to descend further south.

Reporter Lim Sun-young [email protected]