Calf need prosthetic tail due to accidental injury
Clearwater Marine Aquarium is looking to heal an injured dolphin by obtaining an artificial tail for it. Rescuers found a three-month-old Atlantic bottlenose dolphin after it became stuck in a blue crab trap. With the flow of blood cut off, the dolphin's damaged tail flukes fell off after she was freed on December 10th.
Now, the dolphin named Winter may be getting a new prosthetic tail to replace the damaged one. The aquarium is putting out feelers to universities, but the dolphin's tail still needs to heal before a prothesis could be designed or attached. Scientists say other dolphins have received artificial tails. One was in Hawaii. The other was a 500-pound dolphin in Japan named Fuji.
The planned procedures to heal Winter could cost as much as $100,000.
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