In Brazil, volunteers found a parrot without a beak. They didn’t abandon the poor bird – and gave it a chance at a happy life.
In Planura, locals spotted a parrot. They caught the bird and took it to a clinic.
What caught the volunteers’ attention about the parrot? Its beak was almost completely missing. And for birds, as we know, the beak is almost the most important tool.
Birds use it to eat, defend themselves and even move around. It is not known how the parrot damaged it, but it was obvious that it could not live without its beak.
Volunteers took the parrot to the Renascer ACN Animal Rehabilitation Centre in the municipality of Planura. Its staff are dedicated to treating even the toughest furry patients.
Faced with a parrot without a beak, experts began to figure out how to save the bird. The director of the Rehabilitation Centre – Paulo Roberto Martins Nunziata – and Maria Angela Panelli Marchio, one of the best veterinary orthopaedists, found a way to help the parrot.
The team decided to make a prosthetic beak for the parrot. The task was not an easy one: the new beak not only had to look like a real one, but also do all the necessary functions.
The parrot was measured accurately and the lower and upper jaws were made from a synthetic vinyl polymer, polymethyl methacrylate, to make a prosthesis.
The vet also had to fit two metal pins to the parrot for attachment.
In the end, the prosthesis fit perfectly. The beak turned out strong and functional.
The operation was successful, and after rehabilitation the parrot quickly got used to the new beak and returned to normal life.
The shape and thickness of the new beak matches the natural beak.
The parrot now leads the life of a normal healthy bird.
However, the vets decided to keep the parrot at the centre. They think it will be safer under human supervision than in the wild.
The parrot is quite happy with its living conditions, it is fed and cared for by volunteers.
The staff at the centre are also pleased that they were able to save the parrot’s life, as without its beak it was doomed to starve to death.
