Squirrel lovers around the world have been known to take in the adorable little critters when they suffer injuries or simply need an assist to survive. But one squirrel in Turkey needed even more special care than usual. A young female squirrel named Karamel was found with her two front legs badly injured in an animal trap. Although Karamel’s life was saved, her legs were too far gone and had to be amputated. However, Karamel’s benefactors are giving her a new lease on life by fitting her with a prosthesis to restore her mobility. She is now the bionic squirrel!
Via Laughing Squid, Karamel’s story was featured in a new video released by National Geographic. During her recovery, Karamel was adopted by Tayfun Demir, an experienced caretaker of squirrels. Demir wanted his newest charge to regain some of her lost mobility, so he sought out the assistance of professionals from Istanbul Aydın University, who built and designed Karamel’s prosthesis.
Karamel wasn’t able to immediately get a handle on her wheels, as she still needed to be rehabilitated and trained to run again. The prosthesis also went through a few iterations to improve the fit and help Karamel keep her balance. Demir recently debuted a video of Karamel wearing her new red prosthesis, and it doesn’t look like running is a problem for her anymore. She just doesn’t run where Demir wants her to run.
What do you think about Karamel and her new prosthesis? Let us know in the comment section below!
Image: National Geographic
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