3D-Printed Prosthesis Helps An Amputee Bird Run Again

The German bird park staff contacted someone who had good knowledge of making 3D-prosthetics for children.

(Photo Courtesy: RUPTLY TV screengrab/Image altered by The Quint)

Soeckchen, a secretary bird, has been fitted with a prosthetic leg after the veterinaries had to amputate it due to unknown trauma. The footage, filmed by Ruptly on Friday, shows the bird enjoying life again in the bird park in Walsrode, Germany.

(Photo Courtesy: RUPTLY TV screengrab)

We found a bird in her aviary with a broken leg; that was an open fracture. We have not found yet precisely how this could have happened, it is still unclear to us today. The bird was extremely scared. We don’t know exactly what has happened. And despite the medical examination and medical care by our veterinarian, we could not do anything to save the leg, and it had to be amputated.

Michael Lenzgen, Keeper, Bird Park in Walsrode

Lenzgen said that the idea came from one of the bird park’s biology experts. They contacted someone who has good knowledge of making 3D prosthetics for children and who helps children attach their prostheses. The expert came to the bird park to take a look at the bird's leg, to take the measurements, and from that, developed this prosthesis.

"In the beginning, the bird was just sitting at the aviary, in the corner, it didn’t want to run anymore. When running, it was kind of limping all the time. Now all that pain and suffering is gone," said the keeper.