Woman hospitalised with ‘bum injury’ after ‘deranged’ turtle claims third victim
Swimmers enjoying the warm waters off Croatia’s Adriatic coast have been left terrified after a deranged turtle launched his third attack, leaving a woman hospitalised
Look out for this terrifying turtle
A deranged turtle with a taste for human flesh is terrorising beachgoers after three were bitten by the reptile.
Multiple reports have emerged of the bitey turtle’s extraordinary spree, which has seen a child and two adults suffer a range of painful injuries along Croatia’s Adriatic coast. While the child and one of the adults’ wounds have been described as ‘superficial’ in Croatian media, one woman who was reportedly suffered a broken finger and a bite to the buttocks while swimming at the hands, or flippers, of the terrifying turtle.
According to local media, the victim’s daughter described the horrific attack, saying: ” My mother was swimming in Poštansko. The diver told her that a large turtle was coming towards her, but by the time he warned her, it had already bitten her on the thigh and wouldn’t let go.
The creature is believed to be a Loggerhead Turtle
“Mother beat her until she let go. She was left with a bruise from the bite”
Antonija Žanić, director of the local Emergency Medical Service stated that the woman was taken to local hospital, where the wound was confirmed as coming from a turtle, and given stitches.
Experts are baffled by the turtle’s violence
Speaking to Portal, Croatian marine biologist Pero Tutman issued a warning to beach-goers amid the turtle’s ongoing spree, adding that the behaviour seemed completely at odds with what is expected on the species.
Tutman, who works at the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries in Croatia, said: “It’s a completely unusual situation for me, that turtles attack people. It’s not a behaviour that’s characteristic of them, they’re not aggressive because they’re not that type of predator.
“They feed on completely different organisms. They can’t even feed on fish because fish are much faster than them. . Whether this is related to global warming, I really don’t know. It is unusual for them to come so close to the coast and to show such a reaction to people.”
The turtle has three confirmed victims so far
In the rare incident of approaching a loggerhead turtle, swimmers are advised to stay away and avoid touching the creature. If a bite does happen, you should make sure to leave the water immediately and alert the nearest medical authority.
