Frisco due to become a leg-end among ducks

FRISCO the one-legged duck is looking towards a high-tech solution to answer his hops and dreams.

Kim Hartley has been looking after Frisco since December at her duck rehabilitation centre in north Canterbury. And now she is is crowdfunding for the money to send Frisco up to the Wellington Bird Rehabilitation Trust (WBRT) next week for surgery on his stump – with potential plans to have him included in a trial to give him a new plastic leg.

‘‘I think it will be quite life changing for him,’’ she said.

‘‘Maybe Frisco will come back with two legs. It would be great if he was one of the first ducks to get a 3D printed leg. The dream is to get him walking on two legs again.’’

WBRT founding trustee Craig Shepherd is also crowdfunding for the 3D printing machine that he believes could give injured birds a new start. A 3D printer can fabricate objects out of plastic from digital designs.

‘‘We are looking at a 3D printer. We think we have enough birds to do a bit of a study,’’ Shepherd said.

‘‘There will be a way of doing it. The only way to learn things is to do it. Frisco is one of the birds that, fingers crossed, will share the benefit.’’

Shepherd helps about 600 to 700 birds a year. He said the 3D printed prosthetic legs could in the future be used to help ‘‘birds with a higher conservation value’’ than ducks and geese.

Hartley said Frisco is unable to fly because he has rubbed his flight feathers off while using his wings to get around.

Frisco sleeps in the house and is given a warm bath and ‘‘cuddles’’ every night.

‘‘He spends a little bit of time on my lap every evening. He is very lovely and friendly, but he likes to bite things. He is obsessed with my watch strap. He will just pull at it until it comes off.’’

She takes him out for a walk in a special sling every day.

‘‘He starts flapping his wings like mad,’’ she said.

‘‘He thinks he is flying. It is a bit like taking a dog for a walk. I do that with him most days.’’