Artificial paw to kick-start panda’s sex life  Posted 02/11/2007
     Bear necessities: Nui Nui's new paw will enable her to feed and mate.

    A three-legged panda in China is to be restored to full reproductive health by a team of Salford scientists who are making and fitting an artificial leg for her, enabling the injured animal to feed herself and mate - so protecting the endangered species.
  Named Nui Nui, the animal lost a paw in a fight with three other pandas and, since then, has not been able to grasp bamboo to feed, or stabilise herself to mate.
  In December the University of Salford scientists will be coming to Nui Nui's rescue by visiting the animal centre in Beijing, making a cast for a prosthetic limb and training her to use it for walking and feeding.
  By enabling Nui Nui to eat without assistance and stand up in order to mate, the development will play a part in increasing the size of the genetic pool for one of the world's most endangered species.
  The University's Dr Glyn Heath who is leading the trip said: "We will be performing a procedure which will transform Nui Nui's life and ensure that she is able to reproduce and nourish herself.
  "We will only know the final design of the prosthesis once Nui Nui has been clinically assessed. However we envisage her prosthetic limb will feature a hook or false thumb enabling her to grab bamboo from the trees for food. We will engineer the leg so that it will bear her full body weight, allowing her to balance on all fours, whilst walking and standing."
  Glyn has successfully manufactured and fitted artificial limbs for animals including dogs and even rats but Nui Nui will be the first panda he has treated. The former zoologist now specialises in prosthetics at Salford University's School of Health Care Professions.
  He said: "I'm confident that Nui Nui will take to her new leg because most of the dogs we've worked with have been able to walk almost immediately after we've fitted false limbs and externally applied splints.
  "It's rewarding to know we're playing a part in protecting such a beautiful species."
  Sue Braid, Head of the School of Health Care Professions, said: "We are delighted to be offered this opportunity to showcase the diverse skills of our staff. Glyn has a growing reputation of expertise in the field of animal prostheses and it is particularly pleasing that he is using his talents to help an endangered species such as the panda."
  Ends


¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html

To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l
To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
[log in to unmask]
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤