A star tortoise at the Arignar Anna Zoological Park at Vandalur can now move faster than the 14 other bigger tortoises in her enclosure. Ironically, following an injury.
“One of the tortoises was allegedly bitten by a mongoose from the forest nearby. It was badly injured on its leg,” said zoo director K.S.S.V.P. Reddy.
On Tuesday, the animal-keeper noticed the two-year-old animal struggling to move. They informed the zoo veterinarians, who decided to provide it with tiny light wheels that are normally used on a sliding window.
During a procedure that lasted 30 minutes, they affixed two wheels — one of them in front of the uninjured left leg — to the underside of the shell with a special resin. The wheels were then connected with a thin, lightweight metal rod.
“A few minutes after the surgery, the tortoise moved around unfazed by the prosthetic — neither the wheels nor the rod attached to it seemed to bother her.” The tortoise now reaches her food faster than her friends in the enclosure,” said Mr. Reddy.
