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This is one im-peck-able performance.
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 — to replace his upper and lower ones, which had both broken, affecting his quality of life and ability to eat.
“A bird that loses part of its beak loses much more than just a piece of its appearance,” Artis Zoo said on Facebook. “It meant that he could not take care of himself and could not pick up more difficult food from the ground.”
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.
“Especially with a young bird that can still live to a very old age, we felt it was important to see if we could improve its quality of life,” the zoo said on its website.
Although other birds have received one artificial beak, this is the first time two have been introduced.
“There are previous cases of birds with one beak prosthesis, but as far as is known from the scientific literature, this is the first time worldwide that a bird gets both an upper and lower beak prosthesis,” the zoo explained on Instagram.
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.
The team feared the bird would not acclimate to his new beaks, given that he would not feel any sensation in it due to the plastic.
“Our biggest concern was that he would become so upset that he would stop eating. That is why we had a clear plan B in advance. The prostheses are secured with screws and can be removed again if necessary,” the zoo explained.
But on the same day of the operation, the bird was already using his new beak.
“Of course, he had to get used to the shape and the extra weight, but he actually looked comfortable right away,” the zoo said.
“The next morning, he was already picking up a mouse from the ground again. That same day, he ate independently with his new beak.”
Now, the zoo is closely monitoring the bird’s behavior with the prosthesis and has a plan in place in case it gets damaged.
“We have also taken into account the possibility that a plastic beak part might break at some point. Therefore, spare parts are manufactured. Should it be necessary, we can replace a damaged prosthesis,” the zoo explained.
“In addition, we want to investigate whether his behavior changes.”
The bird has a female partner, and the zoo is also monitoring her behavior.
“And of course, we are curious how his partner reacts. We don’t yet know exactly how their mutual behavior will change. That will be interesting to follow,” it said.
“Research has already been conducted into the behavior of the pair. It would be interesting to compare what he does differently or more often now with his new beak.”
The zoo hopes it can welcome the couple’s babies in the future, with the help of the father’s new beak.
“A well-functioning beak can also be important for mutual interaction and for caring for the young,” it said.