Mumbai, Jul 12 (PTI) A pregnant Indian Flapshell turtle rescued from suburban Vikhroli in Mumbai underwent a complex surgery to successfully remove a fishing hook stuck inside her mouth, an official said on Wednesday.

The turtle was found by local people on a busy street after heavy rains last week.

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The medical examination and x-rays revealed the turtle was pregnant with seven eggs. The hook was stuck inside her oral cavity and emerged out just beside her right eye, said Pawan Sharma, founder and president of RAWW (Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare) and also the honorary wildlife warden with the Maharashtra forest department.

The complex surgery was conducted by Dr Rina Dev and the hook was successfully removed, he said.

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"The turtle is recovering and is kept under observation and medications. She will be released back to the natural habitat after complete recovery in coordination with the forest department," Sharma added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)