3D printing is helping advance medicine but this technology isn’t just for people. A number of animals have already benefited from this technology. One of the latest is a toucan, who was found nearly dead with a broken beak.
The toucan doesn’t have to worry about his broken beak anymore though, as he has received a brand new one from a 3D printer. The toucan, named Grecia, was taken to an animal refuge with a broken beak. He was found by farm workers in the area and his condition was not very good. Part of his beak was broken and he was bleeding. It was later reported that Grecia the toucan lost most of his upper beak in an attack by a group of teenagers.
When people found out about the toucan, a crowd-funding site started raising money for his new beak. They received enough money and Grecia got her prosthetic beak from a 3D printer. The toucan had been recovering for a while and thousands of dollars were donated so the beak would be created.
Grecia the toucan made headlines around the world when it was found after the attack and the bird has now become a symbol for people and organizations trying to stop violence against animals in the country.
Grecia waited months to receive the 3D printed beak as thousands of dollars were needed to create it. But Grecia is now eating at the Zoo Ave animal shelter, where workers have helped it recover these last few months.
Technology and Documentary
Grecia the toucan is the latest animal to benefit from 3D printing technology. In the past, many more have also received new parts. A few months ago, veterinarians, local artists and 3D designers helped a tortoise that lost most of its shell in a forest fire. They designed a new shell and the tortoise received the first customed 3D printed shell.
3D printing has given animals a new life by creating what seemed impossible years ago. Grecia the toucan is the latest animal to be helped by this technology. The story of this toucan is now a documentary, which premiered earlier this month. The documentary is called Toucan Nation and was first shown on the Animal Planet channel on August 3.
