Pairing 3D mine success for vultures

In 2005, the vulture named 'My Le' was shot in the head by poachers, causing the mine to be seriously injured, unable to operate food.

The vulture was fed with plastic tubes by birds of Prey Northwest volunteers, My Le gradually recovered and recovered.

Previous images (left) and after (right) when
3D mine implant for My Le vulture.

To help the vulture be able to feed themselves, Jan Fink Cantwell, a bird expert, joined Nate Calvin - a mechanical engineer of the motivational group and some scientists, engineers even including him. Dentists have designed vultures with plastic compound that can completely replace the lost mine by programming a 3D mine on a computer, then using a 3D printer to print. After a very difficult surgery, this vulture can now use his 3D mine to slaughter food, drink water and preen.

The mine is still not completely solid, so the vultures still cannot come to live in their natural environment and still have to be cared for, but it has become more independent than before. My Le's case is a milestone in further development of surgical techniques for wild animals.