The story of Rambo has been one I have wanted to share with you for a while, and now the original art work has finally reached it's new home I can!
Rambo was a loggerhead turtle who came in to the care of the CRAM Foundation after bring discovered at sea trapped in ghost fishing gear.
She was covered in wounds from struggling to free herself from the net, and unfortunately in the process also lost a flipper. Without the use of all their flippers turtles are much more vulnerable to predators and drowning, it also affects their ability to reproduce.
After being rescued by the centre the team also discovered the turtle had ingested plastic. Over 100,000 marine animals are killed by plastic pollution in each year, and this can cause digestive blockages which starve the animal.
The team worked hard to rehabilitate Rambo, to ensure she had a good life in the recovery centre. They even considered options for prosthetic swimming aids.
Unfortunately, despite her resilience, Rambo didn't make it. She serves as a sad reminder of the damage we are doing to our natural world. Ghost fishing, is the term used for discarded fishing nets, lines and debris, which remain in the marine environment. They have become a huge problem, entangling many marine species.
This art work was inspired by Rambo and his story. With the fine details highlighting the ties turtles have with the marine ecosystem and also replacing her missing fin with a celebration of biodiversity rather than the anthropogenic waste that caused its loss.
This piece was commissioned as a gift for the CRAM Foundation to celebrate the important work they are doing. The CRAM Foundation is a non-profit organisation dedicated to protecting the marine ecosystem, if you are visiting their visitors centre in Spain then keep an eye out for my original A3 drawing of Rambo!
Limited Edition Print Release
Limited edition prints of Rambo will be released on the 13th June at 7pm BST. Professionally printed giclée prints on Hahnemühle German Etching paper. Archival, museum quality prints limited to just 50 in each size.
© Rambo, Rachel Brooks, 2023
