thane two softshell turtles will undergo surgery to remove fishing hooks lodged deep inside their throat at the thane spca on sunday four turtles were rescued in gorai by local fishermen on tuesday who realized that there were hooks in their throats from nylon strings jutting out from their mouths the softshell turtles which are ensured maximum protection come under schedule i category of the wildlife protection act 1972 were saved from painful death by the fishermen they were later handed over to animal activists in the vicinity and are now under the care of the thane society for the prevention of cruelty to animals spcaearlier this week ankit vyas an activist from gorai received a call from a group of fishermen who had found the three adult softshell turtles and one juvenile turtle entangled in their nets while they were untangling the creatures they realized that each of the three fullgrown turtles had nylon strings which are used for fishing hoods jutting out of their mouths said mumbai citys wildlife warden sunish subramanianthey immediately handed the four turtles to vyas who brought them to us after this we along with the mumbai forest range officers handed them over to the thane spca animal hospital and emergency centre for treatment this is the first such case we have witnessed in the area subramanian addedby the time the four turtles were brought to the spca only two turtles had the hooks still lodged in their throats veterinarians assume that the third turtle must have managed to use its facial muscles to spit out the hookwe dont know how the hook came out of the turtles mouth but by the time we xrayed it the hook had disappeared this turtle as well as the juvenile are now in good health said meghesh gaikwad veterinary officer at the thane spca