Environment

Disabled turtle gets skateboard & finds love

by poolparty | August 18, 2008 at 12:18 pm

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A ten-year-old turtle just got a custom fit skateboard strapped to her belly. Arava has been overcoming paralysis of her hind legs, and now that she’s got wheels she has started to get her groove on by mating again.

Officials at the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo say the 10-year-old spurred tortoise has begun mating since being fitted with a custom skateboard to overcome paralysis of her hind legs.

The 55-pound turtle is unable to move herself forward with her front legs alone. So the zoo's staff built her a metal board with two wheels that can be strapped to her stomach.

Arava arrived in Jerusalem a few months ago from a petting zoo in southern Israel with the unexplained handicap, and found no reptile romance.

I don’t normally highlight photos in my postings, but I haven’t been able to find many photos of this turtle. If you have any original photos, please upload them to the story.

Arava the turtle pictured with her new wheels Photo: REUTERS

Once the wheels were in place, the zookeepers got more than they bargained for.
Arava has started atttracting the attentions of an amourous male turtle, and the pair are now mating.

Zoo curator Shmulik Yedvad said the metal contraption obviously appealed to the lusty 10-year-old male turtle.