Earlier, wildlife officials rescued an endangered 500-pound leatherback sea turtle from a remote beach. Now, the officials at a South Carolina aquarium have been treating the largest of all living turtles.

While giving information about the turtle, Jenna Cormany, a wildlife biologist with the state’s Department of Natural Resources, said that the rescued reptile is the first living leatherback turtle that has been recovered in South Carolina.

According to Kelly Thorvalson, manager of the Sea Turtle Rescue Program at the South Carolina Aquarium in Charleston, it was a surprising recovery. The leatherback sea turtles do not strand alive very often. According to reports, the animal was first spotted by the state wildlife officials on Saturday on the beach on Yawkey-South Island Reserve.

Cormany said the state wildlife officials had spotted the turtle, but it took about four hours and five people to retrieve the fourth-heaviest modern reptile from the beach. After that, the animal was taken to Charleston, as per Cormany. She said, “It was logistically difficult. We had a turtle stretcher on a board and we all did our best to lift it. It was very lethargic and sick looking”.

Leatherbacks sea turtle, which is also called the lute turtle, is the largest turtle in the world. Adding to that, it is the only sea turtles without a hard shell. The animal can weigh up to about 2,000 pounds as adults, as per the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

According to the state wildlife officials, the recovered turtle is a young female that may have eaten debris mistaken for a jellyfish. The aquarium’s staff has named the turtle ‘Yawkey’. Currently, the animal is being treated for a possible intestinal blockage.

According to Thorvalson, it is improving after having its low blood sugar corrected with fluids.