An American White Pelican found severely deformed as the result of fishing hooks in San Joaquin Marsh in Orange County is doing much better today thanks to a groundbreaking procedure. The OC Register reports that Nigel the pelican had the first ever beak straightening surgery:

On Sunday, veterinary surgeon Marcos Unis of the VCA All Care Animal Referral Center in Fountain Valley spent about an hour placing pins in the beak.

The pins were attached to a fixation device to hold them in place, he said, and acrylic cement was added.

The bird’s recovery should take about eight weeks.

Dr. Unis is planning on publishing his new technique as beak injuries are common in pelicans as their beaks are made of cartilage not bone.

(via "Beak straightening: Pelican plastic surgery?" Pat Brennan, OC Register)

(Photo by Gary M. Stolz/USFWS)