Story By: Lee Bullen, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report

Video Credit: AsiaWire/@therakyatbali

This is the moment a conservationist pours water on 13 endangered green sea turtles with a hose to keep them hydrated after police found them in the back of an abandoned SUV.

Working on an anonymous tip-off, police saved the turtles from a Toyota Avanza SUV parked in the village of Ketewel in the regency of Gianyar in southern Bali, an Indonesian island known for its beaches and coral reefs.

It is not yet known who the owner of the car is.

Pictures Credit: AsiaWire

According to the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) is classified as ‘endangered’.

After being discovered, experts from the Natural Resources Conservation Centre (KSDA) and several veterinary students came to examine the reptiles at the headquarters of the Gianyar Police.

KSDA worker Nyoman Yasa told local media: “The smallest turtle is estimated to be 30 years old. The big ones could be over 50.”

The 13 turtles were taken to the Turtle Conservation and Education Centre in Serangan for rehabilitation.

Green sea turtles are often hunted for their meat, which used to be a mainstay of Balinese cuisine.

Despite being outlawed, the illegal trade of turtle meat still takes place on the black market, according to local media.

Meanwhile, police are still searching for the owner of the Toyota Avanza SUV.

The investigation continues.