Beauty Story

“Beauty”, the bald eagle, was recovered in Alaska near Dutch Harbor, where she was found badly injured, unable to eat, and fighting for her life.  The poachers’ bullet had also destroyed most of the bald eagle’s entire upper beak!

The Anchorage, Alaska rehabilitation clinic provided expert medical care to the bird and found that her eye recovered from the wounds but the beak would not regenerate.  This required hand feeding the bird daily with strips of salmon offered on forceps.  The bald eagle was now dependent upon the very same species that tried to initially bring harm to it.   After some two years, the staff, who had come to know the eagle as “Beauty” waited, and remained reluctant to make the decision to euthanize the eagle.

During the following days, Idaho raptor biologist Jane Fink Cantwell was on a summer vacation in Alaska, when a friend asked if she wanted to tour a local rehabilitation center in Anchorage.  Eager to see a northern equivalent of her own work with Idaho birds of prey, she visited Anchorage TLC, where she came to see the bald eagle missing most of her upper beak.  After learning of the bald eagle’s history, Jane offered an innovative approach.  From her nursing background, Jane was well aware of human prosthetic devices and their ability to improve the quality of life.  Why couldn’t these same principles be applied to the bald eagle in need of a beak?   She set out to do just that.

Jane received authorization from the US Fish and Wildlife Service and flew the bald eagle to Idaho, where she would assemble a team of professionals from varying fields to devise a plan to replace Beauty’s beak.  Mechanical engineers, veterinarians, biologists, dentists, and medical industry experts would contribute ideas for the planned replacement beak to come.  All those invited to join the “Beauty Team” understood that her procedure would be experimental and that they would need to volunteer their services.  Beauty couldn’t pay for her necessary medical intervention nor could anyone predict the outcome of the procedure.

A plan was formulated that would take some 17 months to arrive at the first stage of her  beak repair.  A titanium baseplate would be affixed to the remaining stump of Beauty's upper beak.  To that would be glued a temporary beak made of a nylon composite, followed later by a more permanant titanium beak.   This was the least invasive approach for the bald eagle, and the prosthetic beak was be designed to be removed when needed.  On May 19, 2008 the “Beauty Team”  fit the titanium baseplate and temporary nylon beak.  Shortly after a successful attachment, the adhesive securing the nylon beak loosened - the titanium baseplate was not adhering well to the nylon beak and the temporary beak detached.   A different adhesive was then applied and the nylon beak reattached.  Beauty is being carefully observed.  Fortunately, the design facilitates the removal of the beak as needed - the baseplate remains affixed.   Until her new titanium beak is in place, Beauty is enjoying freshly cut strips of salmon daily and is very fond of her water bath.  The “Beauty Team” remains guardedly optimistic that her beak to come will serve her well!

For more information read the June 6, 2008 Associated Press story on Beauty.

Click here to see a slide show of the beak attachment.

Worldwide Support

Ever since the first media report on Beauty appeared the week of May 19, 2008, Birds of Prey NW has received hundreds of messages of support for the effort to restore Beauty's beak.  This expression of interest and concern for Beauty has deeply touched everyone on the Beauty Team.  So too have the donations that Birds of Prey NW has received to support Beauty, as the organization depends entirely upon volunteers, donations and grants - it receives no governmental funding.  The Beauty Team was particularly touched by the efforts of Aidan and Maya Joyce of Montclair, New Jersey.  These 7-year-old twins raised $342 for Beauty by asking friends and family for donations.  As the twins mother Jana says, "We all appreciate everything you are doing for these beautiful birds and we are thrilled to see Beauty looking great with her new beak!"  Birds of Prey NW is deeply grateful for all of these expressions of support for our efforts to provide Beauty with a beak.  As many have pointed out, Beauty represents both man's cruelty and man's compassion.