posted Jan 31, 2014 at 9:00 AM— updated Feb 1, 2014 at 2:13 PM
Bunker walks gracefully and confidently around his pen, one foot planted firmly in front of the other, his head held high.
It's only on closer inspection that one would question how he is able to maneuver so effortlessly.
The rare sandhill crane's right limb is supported by a long black plastic piece – a prosthetic device that replaces the portion of his leg that had to be amputated last year after he was wounded on a golf course.
Bunker has been recovering for almost a year, and it was only in December that a more permanent solution was found for his disability.
Now, Abbotsford veterinarian Dr. Ken Macquisten and Elizabeth Melnick of Elizabeth's Wildlife Center(in photo below) anticipate being able to eventually release the bird to his natural habitat.
"He is using the leg very well and seems to be comfortable. It is giving us some reason to be a tiny bit more optimistic that he might be the first bird to ever be returned to the wild with a prosthesis," Macquisten said.
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