The owners of Chris P. Bacon, a little piglet born without hind legs, constructed a mini wheelchair out of K’Nex pieces. This special contraption is attached to the piglet with a harness and allows the little guy to explore to his heart’s content.
Watch the video here:
Other animals have used special wheelchairs with success as well. See a video of Lily the lionhead rabbit on the move in her wheelchair here.
Photo by Abigail Pheiffer
At the Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, CT, a 14-year-old penguin named Yellow Pink molted his waterproof feathers last year. They never grew back. Without the waterproof feathers, swimming became uncomfortable for the penguin.
Fortunately, a team of veterinarians, trainers, and research staff made him a custom neoprene wetsuit out of an old aquarium diving suit. Now Yellow Pink can stay warm as as swims.
Watch a video of Yellow Pink swimming in his suit below:
For more information about Yellow Pink, visit the Mystic Aquarium website or find them on Facebook.
Learn more about African penguins on our African Penguin Facts Page.
Lucky is a Humboldt penguin born at the Santa Barbara Zoo in April 2010. As he grew up, zoo keepers noticed that he walked with a limp. Further testing showed that his leg was not developing properly. If not helped, he would eventually suffer from infections from the sores on his feet. Teva, a sponsor of the zoo, was called in to help. The footwear company custom created a boot that would assist Lucky when walking and swimming.
Watch the story below: