An Alligator, named (now ironically) Mr Stubs has had a new tail 3D printed for him.
Mr. Stubbs’ tail was probably bitten off by another gator and has left him at quite a disadvantage. But thanks to a team of researchers and doctors, he now has a chance! “If he is in a pen with other alligators he can’t move as quickly, so they get to the food first,” Midwestern University associate professor Dr. Justin Georgi said. Experts say the prosthetic will take some time to get used to.
This isn’t the first prosthetic tail he’s had though. When he first made it to the facility when he was just 9 years old, he became the first gator in the world to be fitted with a prosthetic tail. Made out of latex and silicone, the attachment was based on another alligator’s tail but unfortunately it proved to be a bit clunky. And as he grew up, obviously so did his body size, and Mr. Stubbs ended up growing out of the prosthetic tail.
Thankfully, Mr Stubbs has taken to his new tail very well, and he even used it to tail-slap a volunteer at the facility.
“My initial reaction was, ‘That’s wonderful!'” said Justin. “Of course I had to stop and ask if the volunteer was okay, too. But hearing that he was using that tail in a natural fashion was just a terrific and exciting landmark.”
