Page 22 - Gateways_Summer_2022_Neat

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A Critically Endangered Sea Turtle
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The second-largest tank in the building is home to fish that live in the Atlantic Ocean.
These include cownose rays, the bar jack, the Atlantic spadefish, and the lookdown.
The flat-faced lookdown got its name because it appears to be looking down as it swims.
The tank’s newcomer is Pistachio, a Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, which is the smallest
and the most critically endangered sea turtle species. In 2012, Pistachio was struck by
a recreational boat propeller and found washed up and badly injured on a Florida beach.
Even after years of care and medical treatment at The Florida Aquarium, her injuries
prevent her from sustaining herself in the wild. Vessel strikes
are one of the many hazards that has driven this species
to near extinction. New signage explains what is being
done and how you can help the turtles survive.
To learn more, view our “Bringing the Zoo
to You” video, “Pistachio: The Kemp’s Ridley
Sea Turtle,” on Brookfield Zoo's
YouTube channel.

Kemp’s ridley sea turtle

22 GATEWAYS | LIVING COAST