Source: Zoo Ave

An infamous case about cruelty against wildlife in Costa Rica will be the subject of a future documentary, which will be produced in association with the Discovery Channel cable television network.

The heartbreaking history of “Grecia,” a juvenile toucan that lost most of its upper beak after a savage attack by a group of youths in Costa Rica, has drawn lots of attention from wildlife conservation activists around the world. The incident occurred in late 2014, and it caused indignation across the country due to the gruesome violence perpetrated against the bird; its beak was hacked off with a machete, but the quick intervention of wildlife rescue specialists was crucial in preventing death.

At one point, veterinarians and engineers explored the possibility of using 3D printing technology to create a prosthetic beak for Grecia. Until recently, engineers have had a hard time trying to come up with suitable prosthetic; however, a welcome break arrived in late July when two ecotourism guides from the Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge in the southern Pacific region of Costa Rica found a dead toucan on their property.

As explained by travel and tourism writer Shannon Farley on a Nicuesa Lodge post:

When naturalist guides Erick Camacho and Jose Garro found the dead toucan below a tree near their staff housing at the Costa Rica eco-lodge where they work, it was an interesting discovery but just another day in the jungle.

 

A number of Costa Rican companies are working to design [Grecia’s] prosthetic beak using 3-D printing, but so far have not been 100% successful. Not having a detached real toucan beak to analyze to see how it works has hindered progress.

 

On July 14, the manager and guides of Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge, in southern Costa Rica, donated the beak of the dead toucan they found to Zoo Ave for its research. The dead bird was found mostly eaten – by another jungle animal during the night – leaving only the head, beak and feathers intact.

 

The donation of the beak has brought hope to the team of specialists working on this unique prosthetic.

With the support of Discovery Channel, local production label Alpha Channel and a film producer from El Salvador are documenting Grecia’s story, which will also feature President Luis Guillermo Solis; ever since this incident, he has been very supportive in pushing an legislative proposal to enhance current animal protection laws in Costa Rica.

Grecia is named after the canton and municipality where the toucan was found. The bird has been recovering at the Zoo Ave wildlife rescue center in La Garita, province of Alajuela, since January.