Only in Israel......Disabled turtle uses new wheels to find love

Hi Everyone!

I am sure that everyone knows about the many medical innovations that have been developed in Israel. Here is an usual one that caught my attention:

Disabled turtle uses new wheels to find love

The Telegraph
August 18, 2008

Arava, a ten-year-old spurred turtle, lost mobility after her hind legs became paralysed.

Weighing 55-pounds (25-kilogram), she could not move herself forward with her front legs alone. So, staff at Jerusalem Biblical Zoo built her a metal board with two wheels that can be easily strapped to her stomach, creating a unique type of wheelchair.

Once the wheels were in place, the zookeepers got more than they bargained for. Arava has started atttracting the attentions of an amourous male turtle, and the pair are now mating. Zoo curator Shmulik Yedvad said the metal contraption obviously appealed to the lusty 10-year-old male turtle.

Arava arrived in Jerusalem a few months ago from a petting zoo in southern Israel with the unexplained handicap. She had not found love before the wheels were fitted.

I posted pictures of the newly mobile turtle at:
http://www.jr.co.il/pictures/israel/things/turtle.htm

Something to see the next time you visit the Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem.

Have a good day,
Jacob