The turtle, named Piggy Bank, suffered nickel poisoning from the coins, which had been thrown into her tank by tourists.
An endangered sea turtle that swallowed nearly 1,000 coins died Tuesday morning despite doctors thinking that removing the change from her stomach would save her life.
Piggy Bank, a 25-year-old sea turtle in Thailand, was given her name after she swallowed more than 11 pounds of coins that tourists had tossed into her tank for good luck and longevity, the Associated Press reported.
It was apparent Piggy Bank was ill in her tank in the southern city of Si Racha when a member of the Navy noticed she was floating motionless in the water. A 3D scan later showed 915 coins in her stomach.
A team of surgeons from Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok operated two weeks ago and were able to remove the spare change from her stomach. Even though they originally believed she was well on her way to recovery, later check ups showed she was suffering from nickel poisoning from the coins, which damaged her immune system, and an intestinal blockage that affected her protein intake.
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Doctors performed a second surgery Tuesday morning, but the turtle never woke up from general anesthesia after the procedure.
“She at least had the chance to swim freely and eat happily before she passed," Dr. Nantarika Chansue, who led the team of surgeons, told the Associated Press.
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