A team of dedicated volunteers is working to give Beauty, a disfigured Alaskan bald eagle, a new lease on life by attaching an artificial beak. This heartwarming effort aims to help the eagle eat and groom properly after part of her beak was shot off, leaving her unable to fend for herself.
Beauty’s Tragic Injury
Beauty, a seven-year-old bald eagle, was found struggling to survive in Alaska after most of her curved upper beak was cruelly shot away, leaving only a stump. Without her beak, she couldn’t hunt or feed, leaving her scrounging for food at a landfill. Her exposed tongue and sinuses made it impossible for her to clutch or tear food, groom her feathers, or even drink properly.
Biologist Jane Fink Cantwell, who operates a raptor recovery center in Idaho, explained Beauty’s struggles: “For Beauty, it’s like using only one chopstick to eat. It can’t be done.”
A Team of Heroes Steps In
Cantwell took Beauty under her wing (literally) after the bird spent two years in a recovery center in Anchorage, where caretakers hand-fed her while hoping for her beak to regrow—something that never happened. Fearing Beauty would be euthanized, Cantwell worked tirelessly to find a solution.
A chance meeting with mechanical engineer Nate Calvin led to an innovative plan: designing a bionic beak. With the help of volunteers, including a dentist and veterinarian, molds of Beauty’s beak were created and scanned into a computer to design an artificial beak as accurately as possible.
The custom-made, lightweight, and durable nylon-composite beak will be glued onto Beauty, allowing her to live a much-improved life. While she won’t be able to survive in the wild, the new beak will let her eat, drink, and preen like any other eagle.
A Bright Future for Beauty
The emotional journey of this 15-pound eagle shows how compassion and ingenuity can save a life. Thanks to the efforts of her dedicated caretakers, Beauty now has a chance to live comfortably, potentially to the age of 50.
Beauty’s story is a powerful reminder of the incredible impact that human intervention can have on wildlife, transforming suffering into survival.
