A veterinary team at Jurong Bird Park in Singapore has used bamboochopsticks to repair an injured eagle’s damaged wing.

On 7 January, a member of the public alerted the park to the injured hawk-eagle which was then collected and brought to the park’s avian hospital fortreatment.

The bird was assessed to be in good health, aside from its damaged wing, forwhich the veterinary team decided to imp its wings and tail feathers to helpaccelerate its recovery.

The process included collecting over 50 replacement feathers while usingbamboo chopsticks as imping needles to affix the new feathers.

Dr. Ellen Rasidi, veterinarian at Jurong Bird Park, said the method for impingis similar to humans getting hair extensions.

“However, unlike hair extensions, we have to be extra meticulous in ensuringthat each individual replacement feather is carefully trimmed, measured andarranged in the right position to match the patient’s original feather lengthand orientation as much as possible.

“Each feather is shaped differently and fixing them in incorrect angles mayaffect the aerodynamics of the bird’s flight.”

After the successful operation the bird was released into the while with areal-time satellite tracking device attached to its tail, allowing the bird tobe tracked and monitored after its release.

Image supplied by Jurong Bird Park.

Tagged: Eagle, Jurong Bird Park

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