An injured bird in an Amsterdam zoo made history as the first in the world to receive two 3D-printed beak prosthetics. The southern ground hornbill at Artis Zoo got the custom-made artificial beaks, printed from plastic and attached with screws by surgeons. The prosthetics were to replace his upper and lower beaks, which had both broken, affecting his quality of life and ability to eat. Artis Zoo, one of the oldest in the world, founded in 1838, partnered with the Veterinary Medicine department at Utrecht University in the Netherlands to assist the young male bird. Although other birds have received one artificial beak, this is the first time two have been introduced. The university used the broken parts of the hornbill’s original beak, coupled with a scan of his head and the remaining stumps, to design two prosthetics, which were attached during a surgery performed by Bjorn Meij and Lucinda van Stee from the university. Because the beak is part plastic, the team feared the bird wouldn’t acclimate to the new beaks because he wouldn’t have any sensation in them. That’s why they came up with Plan B, securing the prosthetics with screws that could be removed if necessary. However, on the same day of the operation, the bird was already using his new beak. While he had to get used to the shape and extra weight, he was able to pick up a mouse off the ground the very next morning. Now the zoo is closely monitoring the bird’s behavior and has a replacement parts available in case the new beak gets damaged.
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| The bird with broken beaks |
