'They don't make turtle-sized wheelchairs': Two years later, Maryland's 'Lego Turtle' has recovered from shell fractures
A turtle's long road to recovery, which included a custom Lego wheelchair, finally came to an end Wednesday when it took a wheelchair-free walk in a Baltimore park.
The Eastern box turtle, affectionately called the "Lego Turtle" by the Maryland Zoo, was brought in during July 2018 with "multiple fractures on his plastron, the bottom part of his shell," Dr. Ellen Bronson, the zoo's senior director of animal health, conservation and research, said in a statement.
"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,” Bronson said.
The zoo's veterinary team used "metal bone plates, sewing clasps and surgical wire" while surgically repairing the turtle's shell, the zoo said in a statement. To keep the bottom of turtle's shell off the ground while it was healing, a custom wheelchair was designed and built using Legos.
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"They don’t make turtle-sized wheelchairs," zoo veterinary extern Garrett Fraess said in a statement.
He added, "The small Lego frame surrounds his shell and sits on four Lego wheels. Plumbers putty attaches the device to the edges of the turtle’s upper shell, which gets him off of the ground and allows his legs to be freed up so he can move.”
The Lego Turtle used his wheelchair through the spring of 2019, Bronson said. According to Bronson, turtles heal slower than mammals and birds due to their slow metabolism.
“He needed additional time to fully heal, but we were able to take the wheelchair device off him," Bronson 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.”
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The turtle was fitted with a transmitter and released into Baltimore’s Druid Hill Park — it's native habitat. The zoo will monitor his movements.
“This particular turtle was originally tagged in 2000, making him at least 18-years-old,” Bronson said. “We are very happy that he is recovering well from his injuries and we plan to return him to the wild once he is fully healed.”
Eastern box turtles grow to be about four inches by six inches, according to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. Subspecies can be found throughout North America, according to the Smithsonian.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Lego Turtle' released into Baltimore habitat after two-year recovery
