Rare sea turtle dead in Sardinia

(ANSA) - Nuoro, October 1 - An endangered loggerhead sea turtle has washed up dead on a central Sardinia beach, environmental officials said Wednesday.
    The turtle weighing 50 kilos and measuring 70 cm had no external signs of injury, forest rangers called to the scene said.
    Authorities will carry out an autopsy to determine the cause of death and try to prevent more of the endangered species from dying.
    Loggerhead sea turtles, known in Italy as Caretta-caretta turtles and considered at risk of extinction, are the world's second-largest hard-shelled turtle. Adults weigh 80-200 kilos and range in length from 70 to 95 centimeters.
    The loggerhead sea turtle has a low birth rate, with the females laying an average of four egg clutches every two to three years.
    Volunteers from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Legambiente environmentalist organizations have been guarding loggerhead nests and infant turtles that hatched earlier this year along Italy's southern coasts.
    As well, Legambiente and WWF are in the process of setting up a sea turtle first-aid clinic on the Sicilian island of Favignana under the EU-financed TartaLife project, as the animals often get injured by swallowing fishing hooks or getting tangled in nets.