For two years, Beauty, a bald eagle, who was devastatingly shot by a poacher received a new life. Back in 2005, she was shot and her beak was mangled as consequence of the man’s actions. She was left for dead but was rescued by some true American’s filled with patriotism and love for their country’s pride.
When Beauty was found she was weak, bloody and almost dead. She was nursed back to health and then transported to The Birds of Prey Center in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho. Once there, a biologist named Jane Fink cared for Beauty to ensure that she was healthy and happy.
Everyone wanted more than anything for Beauty to return back to the wild and fend for herself, but for that to happen, something miraculous needed to take place.
A beak rebuilding team was formed consisting of Fink, a mechanical engineer, and a dentist. After using 3D imagery programs, a beak was created from a nylon polymer.
Some were concerned that the beak might not last and fall off and would negate all of the effort put towards Beauty. But the team wouldn’t take no for an answer and continued moving forward all in hopes of improving Beauty’s quality of life.
The dentist performed the procedure as it was very similar to a dental procedure. The operation took about two hours.
The operation was deemed a success as Beauty was able to tear apart her food and clean her feathers.
To read more about Beauty and her procedure, click here to read an article.