World News for Students of English

19-06-2015 15:00

A flamingo at a Brazilian zoo is learning to get around on a new prosthetic leg. The bird was given the specially made prosthesis after a fracture of the left leg. The bottom portion of the limb needed to be amputated to stop it getting infected.

Although he still limps a little, the zookeepers say the Chilean flamingo is becoming more comfortable with the new body part. In fact, he’s already mastered the curious flamingo speciality of standing on one foot while tucking the prosthetic leg up tight under his body.

Once the bird has mastered walking properly, he will be reintroduced to his group on the zoo grounds.

The lightweight 18 centimetre prosthesis is made of carbon fibre with silicon ends where the prosthetic is attached to the remaining part of the bird’s leg.

The leg was made by a local orthopaedics office located just west of the city of Sao Paulo.

Difficult words: prosthetic (not natural, made by man), limb (an arm or leg), limp (to walk with difficulty), master (to become very good at something), curious (strange), tuck (to put something into a small space), orthopaedics (the part of medicine which treat injuries of bones and muscles).

Source: www.ondemandnews.com