Injured turtle is nursed back to health using wheelchair made of Lego

Veterinary experts came up with an ingenious solution when confronted with a tortoise with multiple fractures on the bottom of his shell – a Lego wheelchair.

The wild Eastern box turtle was found with severe injuries in a park by an employee at the Maryland Zoo – and the team performed surgery using metal bone plates and wire to hold the shell together.

But the team needed to keep the turtle’s shell clear of the ground – so they got a Lego enthusiast to make a turtle-sized wheelchair (weirdly, shops don’t sell them).

Dr Ellen Bronson senior director of animal health, conservation, and research at the Zoo said, ‘He had multiple fractures on his plastron, the bottom part of his shell.

‘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.

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Garrett Fraess, veterinary extern at the Zoo said, ‘They don’t make turtle-sized wheelchairs. So, we drew some sketches of a customized wheelchair and I sent them to a friend who is a Lego enthusiast.

Fraess says, ‘He never even hesitated. He took off and has been doing great. Turtles are really good at healing as long as the shell remains stable.’

Bronson says, ‘Turtles heal much slower than mammals and birds, since their metabolism is slower So, this turtle will likely use his Lego wheelchair through the winter and into the spring until all of the fragments have fused together and the shell has completely healed.’