Injured Turtle Recovering With His Awesome LEGO Wheelchair

  • 6 years ago

An injured turtle is on the mend thanks to the hospital staff at The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, Maryland, who used LEGO bricks to create a wheelchair for the animal.The zoo shared the wild Eastern box turtle’s progress on September 26 in a video posted on their Facebook page. According to a press release, the turtle was brought to the zoo in July with multiple fractures to his plastron – or the bottom of his shell.“Because of the unique placement of the fractures, we faced a difficult challenge with maintaining the turtle’s mobility while allowing him to heal properly,” said Dr Ellen Bronson, the senior director of animal health, conservation, and research. While there are no wheelchairs for turtles, Garrett Fraess, a veterinary extern at the zoo, was able to help get the next best thing when he sent sketches to a friend who is a LEGO fanatic.The turtle is seen in the video and photos with multi-colored LEGOs on his shell, complete with four LEGO wheels. The zoo said the turtle will likely remain in the wheelchair through the winter and into spring. Credit: The Maryland Zoo via Storyful