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Two-Headed Turtle Hatched in
Costa Rica
A two-headed turtle was hatched
on Costa Rica's Pacific coast,
with a birth defect possibly
linked to ocean pollution or
climate change, the World
Wildlife Fund said Wednesday.
The Kemp's ridley turtle hatched
on Nov. 20 in a turtle refuge at
Ostional Beach, 225 kilometers
west of the capital San José.
Thousands of female turtles
arrive between July and November
to lay their eggs.
"The turtle caught the WWF's
attention because this is a
birth defect that could be
associated with pollution or
temperature increases, among
other causes," said Carlos Drews,
the WWF's regional coordinator
for marine turtles.
"The species could serve as an
indicator of climatic changes
and the affect of pesticides and
agrochemicals on coastal and
marine ecosystems," he said.
Siblings Melvin and Olger
Chavarria found the baby turtle,
which they said raised both
heads above the surface of the
water to breathe.
They said in more than 50 years
of working with turtles in the
area, no one had seen anything
like it previously.
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