Bird receives new life with bionic beak

VANCLEAVE, MS (WLOX) - An injured Cooper's hawk is on the mend, thanks to a new bionic beak.

The wildlife care group, "Wild at Heart," is caring for the bird at its headquarters in Vancleave. The hawk was attacked by a dog and sustained serious injuries to its beak.

Veterinarian, Dr. James Askew, re-built the bird's beak and the hawk, which is nicknamed "Beaker," is now on the road to a full recovery.

"He actually took stainless steel and molded it to the shape of the beak and then applied resin to hold it in place," said Missy Dubuisson, Wild At Heart Rescue Director. "As the beak grows, he will then Dremel off what he needs to, until it's completely gone."

Wild at Heart is currently caring for nearly a dozen birds of prey. Dubuisson says it's costly to feed and care for such birds, and the group welcomes donations to support its wildlife care.

Beaker will be returned to the wild in about a month. He's already using his steel beak to rip apart food.

Copyright 2016 WLOX. All rights reserved.