BALTIMORE — We know turtles have a reputation for being a tad slow-moving, but would that change if one has a custom Lego wheelchair attached to it?
The zoo fastened a custom Lego wheelchair on an Eastern box turtle that was injured in the summer of 2018, and today the turtle has been released to its natural habitat after healing thanks to the new ride.
In July of 2018, the turtle was found in Druid Hill Park with several fractures along the bottom of his shell that made it hard for him to move.
Dr. Ellen Bronson is the senior director of animal health, conservation, and research at the zoo. She said the placement of the fractures was unique and wouldn't allow for usual healing methods to work, meaning the team had to get creative.
"He had multiple fractures on his plastron, the bottom part of his shell," she said. "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."
The vet team at zoo stabilized the little guy with multiple surgeries, including adding metal bone plates and surgical wire to keep his shell together.
Garrett Fraess was a part of the team that helped look over the turtle. He said it was crucial the bottom half of the shell stayed together and that some of those surgical methods proved difficult -- so they decided to draw up some sketches, sending the wheelchair ideas to a Lego enthusiast friend of his.
So thus, a one of a kind ride was born. The multi-colored Lego ride surrounds the shell of the turtle -- who is no bigger than a grapefruit -- and sits on his four wheels, with strong plumber's putty attaching it to the upper shell to free up leg mobility. The turtle is still able to move around his legs on the inside and outside, behavior zoologists said was important to keep up with healing.
"Turtles heal much slower than mammals and birds, since their metabolism is slower so, this turtle used his Lego wheelchair through the winter and into the spring of 2019 until all of the fragments were fused together and the shell was almost completely healed," Dr. Bronson said.
"He needed additional time to fully heal, but we were able to take the wheelchair device off him," she said. "We kept him at the hospital and continued to monitor his progress, giving him ample exercise time to strengthen his legs in preparation for release."
Bronson said the turtle has made "tremendous progress" thanks to the wheelchair and that it was bittersweet to see him leave on Wednesday. The Maryland Zoo has tagged over 200 of the Eastern Box turtles she said, which are common in Maryland wilderness.
"This turtle has made tremendous progress in shell healing over the last two years. From his successful use of a Lego wheelchair as a mobility aid early in his recovery to now, he has been a unique zoo patient," Bronson said. "It was a joy for our veterinary team to watch him return to his native habitat today."
Speed on, little guy!
