When Sage was found entangled in roughly 30 kilograms of abandoned fishing gear, the young olive ridley turtle needed specialist care and time.
At a turtle conservation centre in Cape Town, that recovery involves medical attention, nutrition, rehabilitation and careful assessment before any return to the ocean can be considered. Karoline Hanks decided to turn the scale of that work into a challenge people could see. Her PUFF3R endurance effort covers 192 kilometres. The distance is demanding by design: a way to draw attention to Sage’s long rehabilitation and to the wider harm caused by ghost fishing gear left in the sea.
Every kilometre connects an individual animal’s story with a bigger conservation problem. The campaign gives supporters a practical route into that story, helping fund the care behind Sage’s recovery while reminding more people that discarded equipment can keep trapping wildlife long after it has been lost.
What people made possible
- Sage was rescued from a heavy mass of ghost fishing gear.
- Specialist rehabilitation gives the turtle time and care to recover.
- Karoline’s endurance challenge turns the story into wider awareness and support.
View the campaign
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