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July 8, 2004

Martha the Turkish seagull has found a handy solution to a nasty leg wound.


A seagull found with a badly injured leg was saved after its infected limb was cut off by a boat's crew and replaced with Barbie doll parts.

Martha the seagull was found by a yacht crew in the city of Antalya, Turkey, with a leg that was on the verge of gangrene.

The crew, apparently inspired by peg-leg pirates, amputated the leg and created a new one with the leg of a Barbie doll and a big Barbie doll hand as a foot.

Give her a big hand: Martha's a big hit with tourists!

The Barbie leg has made Martha's new leg and the other doll's hand makes a great foot.

Onur Atalay, a crew member on the Yacht is pleased with their solution for Martha's problem.

He says: "Now it can walk and even runs." Martha spends her days hanging about the yacht being fed by the tourists in the area and splashing about in the sea with the crew.

She's settled down over the last few weeks with her new leg and while she's learning to fly again she seems happy enough with her new sea legs!