Humans can be as deadly a threat to freshwater turtles and other wildlife as any predator. That was certainly the case for this Indian flapshell turtle, who bit down on a sharp fishhook while looking for food in a river.

This flapshell turtle was swimming in the river when a careless person’s fishhook impaled his throat.

Luckily, a kind man experienced with reptiles spotted the suffering turtle and quickly contacted Animal Rahat for help.

After alerting local forestry and wildlife officials about the turtle’s condition, the team rushed him to their nearby clinic. An X-ray helped veterinarians pinpoint his injury and begin the difficult surgery to remove the hook before it could do any more damage.

An X-ray image of the turtle’s throat reveals the hook’s exact location.

The turtle fully recovered after a few days of rest. An Animal Rahat staffer was then joined by a forest department guard as they released the animal into the nearby Krishna River.

Animal Rahat releases the turtle back into his river home.