Kevin Carroll is one of the world's leading scientists. Besides his work with people, he has designed prosthetics (假肢) for dogs and even a duck. And now he is working on Winter.
Winter, an Atlantic dolphin, is a playful two-year-old. She was found off the coast of Florida, caught in a trap. When she arrived at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, CEO David Yates said her condition was serious.
"The first few days, we really didn't think she'd live at all. 24-hour around-the-clock care was provided by our veterinary (兽医) staff, our animal care staff, and our volunteers who literally watched her every second of the day," Yates said.
Winter survived, but she lost her tail. Without a tail, she can neither swim as fast nor jump as high as a normal dolphin. "She has had to get used to swimming without a tail. We didn't know if she could do that," he said.
Winter's swimming style changed from up and down to side to side. Veterinarians were concerned that this unusual swimming form might change the long-term health of her spine (脊柱). The vets, therefore, began to explore how to design a prosthetic tail for Winter. Carroll called Winter's caretakers after he got word of the need for a prosthetic tail, and he offered his services.
Designing a prosthesis for a dolphin was a trickier process than Carroll expected. He said, "With a person, when we fit a prosthesis, we have one long, firm bone. We don't have to have it moving in every direction. With a dolphin, it needs to move along with her whole spine." Teaching Winter how to use the prosthetic device (设备) also presents a challenge. Carroll will have to help her to learn how to once again swim up and down like a typical dolphin.
"It's going to be powerful seeing her coming out of the water with that tail," Carroll said. "I know she's going to do it. We're really looking forward to that."
