Bird With Disabilities Gets Orthopedic Shoes And Walks Once More

Jun 19, 2019 by apost team

Many people love to watch animals as they run or fly through the neighborhood. But not all of these people who enjoy watching the animals during good times would help the animal in a time of need.

Fortunately, not all humans can ignore the suffering of an animal and will lend a helping hand when it is needed.

The workers and volunteers at the California Wildlife Center help injured animals on a daily basis. They recently came to the rescue of a bird who was unable to fend for himself due to an injured foot.

The struggle of the bird was obvious. When the bird came into the Center, it was unable to walk on its own and could not grasp onto objects.

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The problem with the bird was the knots that had formed in its digits. The bird was also only able to walk in pain and discomfort. This is called "knuckling," which Jennifer Brent, the Executive Director from the California Wildlife Center told Apost about recently. She said:

"It’s very common for birds to arrive with their feet “knuckled," Brent told us in an email, "It prevents them from standing properly and unless fixed will prevent them from successfully perching or taking flight from the ground up. Fortunately, knuckling is very easily and quickly remedied."

The staff at the Center found a creative way to deal with the bird's problem. They used a bit of improvisation to create a pair of orthopedic shoes for birds like this one.

"We make little snowshoes for them and then tape their toes to the shoes," said Brent, "As these are young animals and growing up, their bodies adapt within weeks if not days and they are ready to be removed.

In a blog post comment on their website, staff member Dr. Lorraine Barbosa said that for this Northern Mockingbird, the shoes were kept on for one week, and generally they keep them on birds with knuckling for 5-7 days. She even said that they are able to cope pretty well with their snowshoes on, walking around normally, and in some cases, perching on ropes or branches.

Dr. Barbosa, Jennifer Brent, and the staff and volunteers of the California Wildlife Center are saints for rescuing little birds with disabilities and the other creatures they tend to daily.

Find out more about their organization in the video below, and see how you can help too at their website.

Would you aid an animal in need if you witnessed a similar situation? Send this article to the people you interact with on social media. It will provide something important for them to think about.