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Sea Turtle to Get Prosthetic Limbs
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by Karenke4 | February 17, 2009 at 10:56 am
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An injured loggerhead sea turtle is getting more than rest and rehabilitation in Japan. The turtle, Yu, will be fitted with prosthetic fins after a vicious shark attack that left her injured.
Yu was rescued last summer off the southwestern coast of Japan. Scientists want to be sure that she will make it on her own, with full range of motion and enough strength to swim and drag herself up onto the beach to lay her eggs.
"Since we cannot release her like this, because her swimming capability is only at 60 percent of that of a healthy turtle, we decided to make prosthetic fins for her," said Akai, adding that the project would start in May.
The association has set up a fund and asked Japan's largest prosthetic limb maker in western Osaka prefecture to make the artificial fins.
"We are fully aware that it will be a difficult challenge," said a spokeswoman for the company, Kawamura Gishi Co. "But we were moved by the passion of the association and decided to take part in the project."
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at 16:36 on February 17th, 2009
A lost loggerhead at Ningaloo Reef that was eventually coaxed back to the sea.
diekatze has contributed a photo to this story.
at 08:14 on February 22nd, 2009
My husband and I walked a 1 1/2 mile stretch of beach every Sunday morning in Pawleys Island last year. We discovered this nest in mid August and had to move the nest further up the beach due to the late date for hatching. The nest needs as much sunlight each day when they hatch late in the season so we moved the nest to where the houses are further off the beach. We really enjoyed it. These are the eggs we had to move. 114 was the total count if I am correct and we had 89 hatchlings that survived.
kimjonesphotography has contributed a photo to this story.