A turtle who was struggling to walk was found to have a 30cm long plastic bag inside its intestines. You can watch footage of the removal process in the video below, although be warned – it’s not for the faint of heart.

The poor little turtle, which was spotted washed ashore in Rayong, Thailand on 10 May, is now recovering following treatment.

Locals got in touch with Marine and Coastal Resources Rescue and Development Centre after seeing the green sea turtle appearing to struggle as it walked along the beach.

The animal was taken to the centre where it was treated.

Grim footage shows the vet pulling out the thin plastic bag from turtle’s bottom. The vet said the 30cm long plastic bag had been affecting the animal’s digestive system and causing constipation.

He went on to say that the turtle could have died had it not been removed when it was.

Warning people about the dangers of plastic pollution, the vet added: “The plastic garbage that people throw out washes into the seas, where it becomes highly dangerous for the animals. They eat the plastic without knowing that it is not edible then it slowly kills them.”

Thankfully, the turtle is now recovering and will be rehabilitated before being released back to the wild.

The incident highlights the problem of plastic pollution in our seas and affecting our wildlife.

Last October, vets in Florida found 104 pieces of plastic inside the stomach of a tiny turtle that had washed ashore dead.

Sharing shocking photos on Twitter, the Gumbo Limbo Nature Centre wrote: “Not such a happy #TurtleTuesday this week. It’s washback season at Gumbo Limbo and weak, tiny turtles are washing up along the coastline needing our help.

“Unfortunately, not every washback survives. 100 percent of our washbacks that didn’t make it had plastic in their intestinal tracts.

“This turtle, which would fit in the palm of your hand, had eaten 104 pieces of plastic. This is a sad reminder that we all need to do our part to keep our oceans plastic free.”