World Scene: Japan

Prosthetic limbs for turtle

A Japanese conservation group said yesterday it plans to fit prosthetic front limbs to a sea turtle injured in what marine scientists believe was a shark attack.

"We need to pay special attention as the forelimbs will have to be strong enough to (allow her) to climb up a beach," Erika Akai, a researcher at the non-profit Sea Turtle Association of Japan, said. The injured loggerhead sea turtle, with a 74-centimeter long shell, was named Yu after being rescued off southwestern Japan following a suspected shark attack last summer, Akai said.