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Injured turtle sheds Lego wheelchair for 6-month dormancy

By The Associated Press

BALTIMORE (AP) — A wild turtle who came to the Maryland Zoo with a broken shell has traded his wheelchair made of Legos for a pile of mulch.

WMAR-TV reports that it’s time for the grapefruit-sized eastern box turtle to get ready for winter brumation, a period similar to hibernation during which reptiles become dormant to conserve energy.

The turtle was found in July with fractures to the underside of his shell. After surgery, he was fitted with a custom wheelchair to keep his shell off the ground and enable his legs to move.

The Maryland Zoo posted a video showing staff removing his wheelchair to make it easier for him to burrow down for the next six months. The zoo built a large outdoor brumation habitat mimicking his natural habitat.

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Information from: WMAR-TV, http://www.abc2news.com/

Here’s what to know about Timmy, the humpback whale whose life and death captivated Germany

By The Associated Press
BERLIN (AP) — The remains of Timmy, the humpback whale whose life and death captivated Germany for months, will be turned into biodiesel as some of the mammal's bones are set to go to a Danish museum. A series of failed rescue attempts split the scientific community and a private initiative over whether it was more humane to let the weakened and sick animal die on its own or continue the efforts. The whale, nicknamed “Timmy” and “Hope” by German media, was found dead on May 14, stranded just off the small island of Anholt in the Kattegat, the broad strait between Denmark and Sweden that connects the Baltic Sea to the North Sea. Here's what to know:
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