Toto, an 18-month-old turtle, that not only lost both its hind flippers but was also severely injured after being attacked by rats could have been yet another case of an abandoned pet, had it not been for the love of its owner.
Apart from ensuring treatment for months, its owner managed to get the red-ear slider turtle a temporary artificial flippers, which experts claim could be the first such efforts on pet turtles.
The temporary removable artificial flippers, which has been custom made in a Do It Yourself (DIY) style by Vakola-based Dr Dinesh Vinherkar, a wildlife veterinarian and turtle expert, has helped Toto swim and walk with ease since last week of April. However, the reptile cannot wear this permanently and the vet is working on to improve the prototype based on the trials.
"The rat attack happened in January after Toto somehow managed to crawl out of its enclosure.
"When I returned from office, I saw it lying upside down with blood all over. Fearing the worst I rushed to few locals vets. It almost took her few months to recover but I was told that she had lost her hind flippers and would not be able to swim," said its owner Jithin Pillai, a resident of Wagle estate in Thane. Pillai said he began researching on artificial flippers and come across Dr Vinherkar who last year had successfully fitted artificial flippers on a few olive ridley turtles at a Dahanu turtle rescue centre.
Dr Vinherkar said that the task of making an artificial flipper for Toto was very challenging given its small size. "When Pillai approached me I told him that making smaller sized flippers would require a lot of trials and it will have to be replaced as the turtle keeps growing. He instantly agreed."
"The challenge was to make small and lightweight flippers and ensure it can be attached to even smaller stubs that were left after the rat had chewed most of the flippers and both hinds limbs. I used acrylic material and plastic to carve out the artificial flippers and after lot of tests to check its buoyancy when fitted to Toto we finally got it right as it quickly adjusted to using the flippers to move forward on land as well as water," he said.
Pillai shared that at the moment he only fixes the artificial flipper for few hours so that it can swim in water and it doesn't face much challenge in walking without it.
"Given the fact that we are successful with a temporary one in place of its right flipper we are trying to better the design, however even that can't be worn permanently but its only to facilitate swimming and from this week we will also begin trials for its second flipper as well," said Vinherkar.
