According to the National Zoo, Abyssinian ground hornbills are native to Africa and are roughly the size of a wild turkey. These birds do not have teeth, and they eat by scooping up small prey from the ground with their beaks, flipping it into the air, and swallowing it whole; in the wild, they’ll eat cobras, lizards, mongooses, and even insects, seeds, and fruit. Karl has a worn down lower beak, which prevented him from picking up anything smaller than a mouse, and it was even difficult to manage that feat – he had to angle his head to the side, shuffle along the ground, and scoop to get anything to eat.
“We decided we needed to do something to resolve that, and we came up with a hoof acrylic product,” said Gil Myers, assistant curator at the National Zoo. “Unfortunately, some of the prosthetics weren’t able to last long term.”
The procedure went well, according to National Zoo veterinarian James Steeil, and the fit seemed good, but the final test was yet to come.
“I like the way that one fits,” Steeil said when the prosthetic was glued to Karl’s beak, then sanded down. “Fingers crossed it stays on.”
Karl has adapted to using his new 3D printed beak just fine, and is once again picking up small prey and flinging it into the air to eat for his meals. Karl’s keepers hope that the prosthetic continues to work and does not fall off like the previous beaks did.
“With building this prosthesis, it will provide Karl with a better avenue to eat for himself and hopefully propagate the species,” Steeil said.
Discuss in the 3D Printed Beak forum at 3DPB.com.
[Sources: Washington Post, Newser / Images: National Zoo via YouTube screenshot]