Ostrich at Hattiesburg Zoo recovering from surgery to fix broken wing

By Angela Williams

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    HATTIESBURG, Mississippi (WAPT) — The Hattiesburg Zoo said Twig the ostrich is starting to return to her feisty self after undergoing surgery to fix a broken wing.

Zookeepers noticed the 15-year-old ostrich’s left wing was drooping the morning of June 3. Zoo veterinarian Julia MacGregor performed a full exam and x-rays, according to a post on the zoo’s Facebook page.

“It was a clean break with minimal displacement or movement of the bone fragments and the bone did not break through the skin, which made Twig a good candidate for repair,” MacGregor was quoted as saying.

The Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine took on Twig’s case, and on June 21, the university’s team of large animal surgeons performed surgery to install a permanent plate and screws that will hold the broken bone together.

The zoo said Twig is recovering well and is staying in a quarantined area while she recuperates.

“Twig is eating well and showing signs of returning to her feisty personality,” the zoo said on social media.

Twig is one of two ostriches at the zoo. She first arrived in 2009. The zoo said ostriches can live to between 30 and 40 years old under human care.

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