Winters
story
At only three
months of age, Winter found herself wrapped tightly in a crab trap line and was
unable to escape. She was rescued from Mosquito Lagoon (near Cape
Canaveral ) and transported to CMA to begin a long rehabilitation.
Unfortunately, Winter lost her entire tail as well as two vertebrae a result of
the serious injuries that she had sustained.
Although her story is intriguing, it is also very rare, as many
dolphins unfortunately die in monofilament and crab trap lines. Despite the
odds against survival, Winter's energy and ability to adapt to her new physical
form has surpassed the expectations of many experts. Winter has done amazingly
well in the short time since her stranding. She has completely healed, adapted
to a new swim pattern, and learned to eat fish on her own... about twelve
pounds a day! She is growing quickly, and now weighs in at 230 pounds!
Come and visit Winter... she may have lost her
tail, but she'll capture your heart!
Winter’s
Tale
It takes many creative minds
to build what is ultimately the best for the animal. This is why the dedication
and the creative minds of the trainers, the veterinarian, and Hanger prosthetic are an invaluable resource to the ongoing care of our beloved
Winter!
Putting Winter's Tails On...
It was hard to put the tail on because you have to put a sock first... Winter didn't like the sock so she would break the tail, so Sawyer then discovered that the problem was the sock and not the tail.
What are the changes compared to her last tail?
Well her last tail was her normal tail which had to be amputated, it was difficult to get her tail on but they did.
What are the future tail modifications?
We are going to
modify this prototype by removing the cross-member straps. The new tail will have the main lateral struts
hinged closer to the main suspension strap, so the stabilizing cross-member
straps will not be needed. (CMA talking)
Images of Winter and her Daughter
Hope:
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