Policing turtles

a wildlife-loving Turkish police officer spearheaded the rescue of 50 endangered loggerhead sea turtles trapped in fishing nets off the southern coast of Turkey. Officer Okay Sutcuoglu organised a group of fishing boats to travel 30 km from the town of Tarsus and rescue the snared turtles. However, three of the turtles, often known by their scientific name Caretta Caretta, drowned by the time the rescue operation ended three hours later.

The dead turtles weighed 85 kg (187 lb) each. Loggerhead turtles have migrated to beaches along Greece and Turkey's Mediterranean coastline to lay their eggs for thousands of years. Environmental groups say their numbers are dwindling under pressure from pollution, destruction of their coastal habitat and drowning in shrimp and fishing nets.