desymbol: Australian Vet Helps Parrot Fly Again By Giving It New Prosthetic Wings

It takes only a few hours to completely change the life of an animal. Dr. Catherine Apuli, a vet working with The Unusual Pet Vets in Brisbane, Australia, gave a parrot named Wei Wei the ability to soar again.

Wei Wei had been the victim of wing trimming to prevent it from flying. However, with Dr. Apuli’s help, the parrot was able to take to the skies! All it took was some MacGyverish ingenuity and creativity which involved some donated feathers, glue, and toothpicks. (But don’t worry, dear Pandas, the procedure was completely painless!)

Dr. Apuli isn’t the only helping other creatures soar the skies again. When you’re done with this post, check out Bored Panda’s earlier article about Katie VanBlaricum who helps butterflies fly again by giving them wing transplants.

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Wei Wei the parrot couldn’t fly because somebody had trimmed its wings, but now it can once again soar in the skies

Image credits: Caters News Agency

Apuli gave the 12-week-old Green Cheeked Conure a pair of prosthetic wings made out of feathers donated to the clinic. Within hours of the procedure, during which the parrot slept as the prosthetics were glued to its body, Wei Wei was back on its feet (well, wings) and was maneuvering in the air like a pro.

What Apuli did is known as ‘imping’ and involved repairing damaged feathers by attaching parts of new ones. In Wei Wei’s case, the vet used toothpicks for support.

Repairing damaged feathers by attaching parts of new ones is known as ‘imping’

Image credits: Caters News Agency

Here’s what Wei Wei looked like before the procedure

Image credits: Caters News Agency

And here’s how fabulous the parrot looks after it

Image credits: Caters News Agency

Wei Wei had been a victim of “severe” wing trimming. This is a controversial procedure that some exotic bird owners do to keep their pets grounded and to prevent their escape. Previously, every time Wei Wei had tried to fly, it would fall to the ground.

This is Dr. Catherine Apuli, the heroine who saved Wei Wei

Image credits: Caters News Agency

You can learn more about the awesome vet right here

Image credits: Caters News Agency

Look at how gorgeous the bird looks!

Image credits: Caters News Agency

“The bird had a severe wing trim, which means that the flight feathers were cut too short and too many feathers were cut,” the 31-year-old veterinarian Apuli said.

It’s unclear who exactly trimmed the parrot’s wings: whether it was a previous owner, a pet store owner, or a breeder.