Fake flipper sought for sea turtle

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas - When tourists found a 5-inch green sea turtle bloody and missing three of her flippers, the people who run a hospital for the endangered animals here gave her little chance of survival. But the turtle didn’t give up and survived, due to injections of antibiotics and a forced diet of squid. Somehow, she swam with just one flipper, even though she can only move in counterclockwise circles and has to push her now 10-pound body off the bottom with her head to breathe. Since her rescue, her wounds have healed very nicely. But the problem is that she can’t swim very well. What her doctors are looking to give her for the future is a sea turtle fitted prosthetic arm. If this operation is successful, this sea turtle will be the first to have a prosthetic arm. Three flipper turtles that get injured can go back to sea and two flipper turtles can survive in captivity after given the right care. As for those left with only one after predator attacks or run-ins with boat propellers are usually killed. But this turtle was spared because an intern begged for a chance to nurse her back to health the summer she was found. Since then, she has adapted and grown to normal size for her age. But because an Atlantic green sea turtle like her can grow to 450 pounds and live a century or so, her long-term prognosis with only one flipper is not promising. She could be destined to shallow water for the rest of her life, which becomes a quality of life issue. This triggered the idea for her caregivers to make her a kind of bionic turtle. “If we can do something for other turtles, then keeping her alive is worthwhile," said Guillen. "We're hoping we can accomplish something with Allison that will benefit other turtles." I found this article to be very interesting. At first, I wondered why they are trying so hard to keep one animal alive. Well now it make sense to me because she is going to be tested on for prosthetic turtle flippers. And if it is successful with her, it could also be successful to all the other impaired turtles. I also think what these doctors are doing is very kind to the turtle.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080229/ap_on_sc/bionic_turtle;_ylt=AiYzh8EmS0v2LHUY6LmsD_QPLBIF