Injured Tortoise Receives Worlds First 3-D Printed Shell
There are many ways to help those in need. Some may choose to donate money to a worthy cause, while others may volunteer at a charitable organization. Of course, that is just the tip of the iceberg. Sometimes, a small act of kindness can make a world of difference for someone in need – and that includes animals.
We often read about homeless, battered animals being rescued and restored back to health by kindhearted individuals. Those touching stories remind us that even through tragedy, there is hope for a new beginning. For animals in Brazil, hope comes in the form of a group of surgeons and one 3-D designer who call themselves the Animal Avengers.
The heroic group consists of four vets, one dental surgeon, and one 3-D designer. From left to right, they are Dr. Matheus Rabello, Dr. Paulo Miamoto, Dr. Roberto Fecchio, Cicero Moraes, Dr. Sergio Camargo, and Dr. Rodrigo Rabello. “We first came together as friends because of our common love of science and our love for animals,” Dr. Fecchio explained. “We soon realized we could do some extraordinary work using cutting-edge technology […] for mutilated animals by giving them customized prostheses.”
The first animal that received their help was Freddy the tortoise. He was severely injured in a wildfire that left him on the brink of death.
The fire had left him badly damaged, and most of his protective shell was gone in the aftermath. Thankfully, the Animal Avengers came along and began to design a new hull for the little guy.
“Freddy was the first tortoise in the world to receive a fully rebuilt hull and the first creature that we, as a newly formed group of animal rescuers, decided to help,” Moraes said.
(deployads = window.deployads || []).push({});
The shell was then fabricated using a 3-D printer and fitted onto Freddy.
It was a perfect fit, but they were not finished with the final product.
To make Freddy look as spiffy as he had before the accident, the team painstakingly hand-painted the entire shell.
The results were fantastic!
(deployads = window.deployads || []).push({});
Thanks to this amazing team, Freddy’s future is no longer bleak and uncertain.
Now, the happy tortoise has a bright and happy future ahead of him.
The São Paulo-based team has helped a number of other animals as well. This included the reconstruction of artificial beaks for a parrot, a goose, and three toucans. On top of that, they also created the world’s first titanium prosthetic pecker for a Macaw.
For more information on the Animal Avengers, check out the video below:
Don’t forget to SHARE this inspiring story with your friends and family.
H/T: Bored Panda
Read more: http://www.wimp.com/injured-tortoise-receives-worlds-first-3-d-printed-shell/
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Leave a Reply