An African spurred tortoise which has been used for breeding and reproduction recently suffered an injury in his leg while mating or having sex. Thus, he has been given a pair of wheel sin replacement of his injured legs that would still allow him to move about.

Young Tortoise Suffers From Arthritis After Having Participated In Breeding Or Mating Program

The 22-year-old tortoise that engaged in the breeding process a few years ago ended up injured upon returning to the Secret Animal Garden at the Dinosaur Adventure Park which is located in England. The tortoise is named Bert and weighs about 100 kilograms. He has been a participant in the breeding program a couple of years ago and mated with five other women tortoises to sire hundreds more. However, when he returned home, the changes in his body were extremely noticeable. Thus, this was when it was discovered by the veterinarian that at such a young age, Bert has already suffered from arthritis after the sexual encounters.

It all started when his keepers at the park noticed that there was swelling in his legs, and has restricted his body movements severely. Aside from having affected his bodily movements, this has also shortened his cycle of life due to an early assessment of a disease that a tortoise doesn't normally get at such a young age. Bert's kind is expected to live until 80 and is not usually diagnosed with arthritis before reaching the age of 30. Thus this has disappointed the veterinarians and the keepers of Bert, the tortoise.

The Tortoise Was Given A Pair Of Wheels To Walk Despite Swollen Legs Due To Disease

However, to make things more convenient for Bert amidst his injured legs, his keepers have decided to give him a set of wheels that have been strapped to his shell. This is to make it easier for him to move around even though his keepers initially thought they would be hard for him to fit in given he could be the largest tortoise in the world. This has already been considered as a warning sign to take extra care on such animals when being used for breeding, especially the ones in fear of extinction.