A veterinary team in Singapore used chopsticks to repair an injured eagle's damaged wing

Dhany OsmanJan 28, 2022, 16:02 IST

The rescued raptor was released into the wild on January 21.Jurong Bird Park

A changeable hawk-eagle was found with burned feathers on Singapore's Jurong Island.
Vets used a centuries-old process called 'imping' to replace the damaged feathers.

An injured changeable hawk-eagle discovered in Singapore was able to take flight again after a veterinary team repaired its wings — using supplementary feathers and bamboo chopsticks.

According to a news release, vets at the country's Jurong Bird Park performed a procedure to replace over 50 feathers on the bird's wings and tail.

Changeable hawk-eagles are a bird of prey and the largest raptor species in Singapore. They get their name from the way their feathers morph from pale to light, according to ebird, a birdwatching organization run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

The species is typically found in Southeast Asia and India; according to the Nature Society of Singapore, there are 12 currently living on the island.

Here are nine photos that show the remarkable transformation the hawk-eagle underwent in order to fly again.

The hawk-eagle was found with burned feathers and taken in by Singapore's Jurong Bird Park on January 8.

The changeable hawk-eagle that was taken in by Singapore's Jurong Bird Park on January 8. It was found with burned wing and tail feathers.Jurong Bird Park

To repair its broken wings, vets used a technique called imping.

The changeable eagle-hawk that was rescued by Singapore's parks authority.Jurong Bird Park

Bamboo chopsticks and epoxy were used to affix around 50 new feathers to the hawk-eagle.

Bamboo chopsticks and epoxy were among the tools used to perform the imping process.Jurong Bird Park

Here, a vet measures the feathers on a pair of donor wings to decide whether to use them on the hawk.

A veterinarian measures the feathers on a pair of donated wings to assess if they are suitable for the imping procedureJurong Bird Park

The bird was kept under anesthesia while undergoing the hours-long procedure.

A veterinarian tests the fit of one of the donor feathers on the injured bird.Jurong Bird park

The team replaced around 50 of the bird's feathers.

The replacement feathers seen on the rescued bird after the imping procedure.Jurong Bird Park

As finishing up the procedure, technicians attached a tracking device to the bird.

A tracking device was also attached to the bird before its releaseJurong Bird Park

Following the procedure, nurses kept the bird warm as it recovered from anesthesia.

A nurse turns a hairdryer toward the bird to warm it up.Jurong Bird Park

The changeable hawk-eagle — its plumage now replenished with dozens of new feathers — was released back into the wild on January 21.

The rescued raptor moments after being released from its carrier.Jurong Bird Park

See the pitch deck the former CMO of MySpace used to raise $2 million to build cannabis lifestyle brand Pilgrim Soul

Cookies on the Business Insider India website