A photo from open sources
Sea turtle named Yu from the Japanese Oceanarium in the city of Kobe received a unique set of prostheses for its damaged fins. 25 year old animal in charge zoologists since 2008 – from the moment when the wounded reptile pulled out of the nets of local fishermen. Veterinarians found that the turtle lost half of the left front fin and part right in a fight with a shark. The first attempts to return a 96-pound Yu mobility was undertaken shortly after the tortoise found a new home. Since then, the inhabitant of the aquarium has changed 26 rubber prostheses, however, all of them allowed to reach only 60% of her usual speed. In addition, artificial fins were attached directly to the damaged limbs of the reptile and poor thing Yu experienced constant pain. At the beginning of 2013, specialists developed a special design for Yu: put on the body of the turtle a special vest, to which the latest prostheses were attached, created from lightweight material. Already the first swim Yu became true success. Now the tortoise with visible pleasure moves through the water and can develop an impressive speed. – Case Yu, most likely, is unique in its It’s like when a loggerhead with a disability can swim with no problem prostheses, said Naoki Kamezaki, the curator of the aquarium.
According to National Geographic, a big-headed sea turtle Belongs to an endangered species of animals. In the natural environment Habitat they can move at a speed of 24 kilometers per hour. The average life expectancy of such turtles is 50 years.
