When it comes to animals who are vulnerable in a forest fire, tortoises probably aren’t the first animals that come to mind. That’s ok because I didn’t think about them either, but apparently they are among the many victims of a fire in Brazil.
One of the turtles who was injured in the brush fires was in desperate need of medical attention. Freddy was badly burned, and his shell was actually destroyed from the fire. Turtles depend on their shells, so Freddy not having his was a big problem.
A group of veterinarians, a dental surgeon and a designer had actually just formed a group called the “Animal Avengers” that help animals who have been struck by tragedy. Check out what they did for Freddy, their first patient:
This is Freddy the tortoise. He was badly burned in a brush fire in Brazil.
Unfortunately, his shell was also destroyed by the fire. So an amazing group of people decided to 3D print him a new one!
This incredible group calls themselves the “Animal Avengers,” and they are here to make a difference in the animal kingdom.
The shell fit absolutely perfectly! What would a tortoise-shell be though if it was just this ugly gray color? It needed some style.
So the team set out to paint his new 3D shell to look as natural as possible.
They did an amazing job! This looks just like a real tortoise-shell!
The Animal Avengers group consists of 4 veterinarian’s, a dental surgeon and a 3D designer.
- Dr. Rodrigo Rabello – Nicknamed Thor because of his tall and blonde appearance, Dr. Rabello is a veterinary surgeon involved in rescuing severely injured animals, like “Freddy,” a tortoise whose shell was reconstructed after a fire.
- Cicero Moraes – Known as The Hulk, Moraes is a 3D designer with a muscular build. He led the design of 3D models for various animal prosthetics, such as Freddy’s shell, by using photogrammetry to create accurate and customized replacements.
- Dr. Paulo Miamoto – A dental surgeon nicknamed Vision due to his intense energy and focus, Miamoto used a desktop 3D printer to create detailed prosthetics like Freddy’s shell in multiple interlocking pieces.
- Roberto Fecchio – With the moniker Iron Man, Fecchio is another veterinary surgeon and is considered a leader in using technology to provide innovative animal care, helping to push boundaries for life-saving animal surgeries.
- Dr. Sergio Camargo – Dubbed Captain America because he is the oldest in the group, Dr. Camargo works closely with Fecchio to advance their prosthetic designs for animals.
- Dr. Matheus Rabello – Known as Hawkeye, Rabello is passionate about using technical devices to improve animal care. He has been instrumental in refining prosthetic beaks for various birds, including toucans and parrots.
Check Out This Video Of Freddy’s Incredible Story!
I’m so glad this group of professionals was able to help out this poor tortoise. He wouldn’t have made it very long without his shell. Now he has a brand new one, along with a fancy new design! These men should be commended for their actions. They plan on helping out many other animals through their Animal Avengers group as well, so they aren’t done making a difference.
If you want to read more interesting stories, check out some Of the most interesting finds on Google Earth.