A hornbill is able to eat again after being given a 3D beak.
Hornbill is able to eat again after being given a 3D beak
The bird in Thailand has been given a new lease of life after vets used 3D printing technology to create the beak extension.
Kanokwan Taruyanont, one of the vets who treated Coco, said: "We used the 3D printing technology to make the pseudo-bill for the bird but unfortunately it broke very quickly, so we continued our attempts to help it."
However, the bird - which has affectionally been named Coco - has also had its wing damaged so they are unsure if she can be let back into the wild.
Kasetsart University's head wildlife vet, Supaphen Sripibun, added: "We believe the bird's wing has suffered permanent damaged in the nerves or muscles. There was no bone fracture found but the bird can't fly."
It is not known how the hornbill came to have her injuries.
National Park chief officer Suchai Horadee said: "Normally, the hunters will take for the whole bird and not just its bill. But since we have not found its bill yet, we are not sure who shot it or if it was an accident. It may have been locals who had entered the park looking for wild plants. We are already investigating what happened with the bird and its bill."