Disabled dolphin gets new tail

[emad]

BBC News



Fuji wears her new tail for 20 minutes a day

A disabled dolphin in Japan is able to swim normally and jump again thanks to an artificial tail fin made by a tyre company.

Fuji, 34, had three-quarters of her tail amputated in 2002 after suffering from a mystery disease.

A veterinarian working with Fuji asked a friend at Bridgestone Corp for help.

Ten prototypes were made before the company found one that worked, and it then took Fuji five months to get used to the fin - it initially scared her.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4021993.stm

[thedailyshow]

1. that's sweet

[KamaAina]

2. (click click squeak squeeeeakkkk clickclickclick)

Dolphins in general seem to be able to spot humans with disabilities and go out of their way to interact with them. There are even "dolphin therapy" programs in places like the Florida Keys.

Now we have a dolphin with a disability. What will she do? She isn't the only one, either: one of my buddies at Sea Life Park on O'ahu is nearly blind (and no, he does not have a guide seal, silly :-) ). How will the other dolphins react to them? I'm gonna guess it'll be more civilized than how humans usually treat their fellows who have disabilities...