3D-printed shoes protect Jurong Bird Park’s residents from foot disease

The shoes of Miguel the southern caracara are designed with holes to accommodate his pododermatitis lesions. — Jurong Bird Park/ST/ANN

SINGAPORE: 3D-printing technology has found a surprising application in customised shoes that protect birds of prey in Singapore from a potentially fatal foot disease.

The silicone-made bird shoes have been refined over two years by Jurong Bird Park’s avian veterinary team and the Keio-NUS Cute (Connective Ubiquitous Technology for Embodiments) Centre at the National University of Singapore (NUS).