COURTESY OF THE MARYLAND ZOO

PLANNING STAGES: Veterinarians worked with a LEGO enthusiast to plan the design for a turtle wheelchair.

An injured eastern box turtle recently got its own specially designed wheelchair—made out of LEGO® parts. An employee of the Maryland Zoo brought the turtle to the zoo’s hospital after discovering it in a nearby park. Veterinarians used surgical wire, clasps, and metal plates to mend cracks on the bottom of the turtle’s shell. But there was one problem: “We were concerned that the fractured area would come in contact with the ground,” says veterinarian Ellen Bronson. That could lead to an infection. So her team built a LEGO wheelchair to keep the turtle’s underside from rubbing in the dirt. He’s now wheeling his way to a full recovery.