TURTLE THAT USED LEGO WHEELCHAIR IN RECOVERY FROM INJURY RELEASED

A turtle that had been injured and had a customized wheelchair built for it from Lego bricks has been released into the wild. Dubbed “Lego turtle,” the male Eastern box turtle had been in the care of the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. It was released last week in the city’s Druid Hill Park.

The turtle was found two years ago with a broken shell and underwent surgery that involved placing metal bone plates, sewing clasps and surgical wire to hold its shell together. Garrett Fraess, who was a veterinary student and in a clinical rotation at the zoo, said it was key to “keep the bottom of the shell off the ground so it could heal properly.” Hence the Lego wheelchair.