Leatherback emaciated, but why a difficult question

A wildlife pathologist from Charlottetown's Atlantic Veterinary College and a scientist from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans are trying to determine why a leatherback turtle apparently starved to death.

The turtle was discovered far up the Shubenacadie River in Nova Scotia Friday, and died on Sunday. It was very thin, and may have starved to death.

Wildlife pathologist Pierre-Yves Daoust said his preliminary finding still leaves many questions.

"If all the subsequent tests that we do reveal nothing we're left with this diagnosis that this animal did not ingest enough nutrients, essentially," said Daoust.

"Why could it not do that? This would be a very difficult question to answer."

A leatherback has never been found so far upriver in fresh water before.

Daoust wonders if this turtle had some kind of brain infection that changed its behaviour. He will be looking microscopically at tissues from the turtle's organs, including its brain, to try to find further answers.

Daoust is working with a scientist from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans on the necropsy.

Leatherback turtles are not uncommon in Atlantic Canadian waters at this time of year.