Someone shot a spear through a sea turtle’s head in the Keys. Then doctors went to work

Veterinarians in the Florida Keys did all they could to save a loggerhead sea turtle found last week with a spear through its head. But by Saturday, they made the difficult decision to euthanize the federally protected reptile.

The Turtle Hospital in Marathon began caring for the turtle, which workers named Aubie (for Auburn University), last Thursday when a guest at a Long Key resort found him in distress. A steel spear was sticking out of his head and one of his front flippers was entangled in fishing line.

While many sea creatures become entangled in monofilament fishing line, Turtle Hospital manager Bette Zirkelbach and her staff believe Aubie was intentionally shot by the spear.

Read more at Miami Herald.