Prosthetic Flippers Give Injured Turtles Yu-Chan and Allison a Second Chance
Yu-Chan, an endangered loggerhead sea turtle, is one very lucky turtle. Found entangled in fishing nets in Japan in 2008, the 20-year-old loggerhead had also been attacked by a shark. Covered in bite wounds, she lost half of her forelimb and part of another due to her injuries.
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The turtle was taken to the Sea Turtle Association of Japan to recover from her wounds. Once she had recovered, plans were to release her back into the sea. But without the use of all her flippers, many area residents objected to her release because she was particularly vulnerable to predators and other dangers and probably would not survive.
Along with Japan’s largest prosthetic company Kawamura Gishi Ltd., the Sea Turtle Association, founded in 1990, went to work developing prosthetic flippers for Yu-Chan. The prototype flippers, which are made from polypropylene and stainless steel, will need a few adjustments and tweaks in order to attach securely to the body. In June, Yu-Chan got to try out her new flippers. A video of her test swim can be seen on National Geographic.
The ultimate goal of the project is to create permanent flippers made from fiber and silicone which will be surgically attached to the turtle’s body.
Listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, loggerhead turtles, Caretta caretta, average 250 pounds and can live more than 50 years. Named for its large head, threats include fishing nets, pollution, debris, watercraft strikes and climate change.
Allison
Another badly injured turtle in the United States, Allison, also lost a flipper in a shark attack and was not expected to survive. Although the five-year-old was fitted with a flipper prosthetic, her stump was not large enough to securely hold the flipper. But this green sea turtle also has a happy ending – she’s been fitted with a black neoprene suit that includes a carbon-fiber attachment. The sleek suit covers most of her body and acts like a rudder.
Green sea turtles are also listed as Endangered. Degradation of habitat, netting and shrimp trawling are just a few of the threats green sea turtles face.
Because of the advances in technology, these lucky high-tech turtles have been given a second chance.
Photo of loggerhead sea turtle by Brian Gratwick on Flickr via Creative Commons.
I remember a few years ago that sea turtles were also suffering from a fungus infection that was eating away at their fins. I have not heard more about it so I am hoping what ever caused that to happen has ended.
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Thank you and utmost gratitude for this post.
Excellent post and excellent compassion displayed by the people that is helping these living beings live as normal a life as possible. I hope whoever reads this post would further awake the love (for all beings to be happy) and compassion (for all beings to be free from sufferings) within oneself.
May all sentient beings be well and happy.
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