Injured duck in Wisconsin gets new feet, lease on life, thanks to 3D printer

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A little duck has a Midwest teacher and his 3D printer to thank for his new feet -- and a new lease on life.

Phillip the duck was scheduled to be put down after he lost both his feet to frostbite. But a middle school teacher in Wisconsin came to the rescue and made Phillip synthetic flippers with his 3-D printer.

The flippers, made from a strong material called ninja-flex, took about a day and half to make.

"Huge accomplishment. And I'm so happy for Phillip giving him that second walk of life," technology educator Jason Jischke said.

The teacher's students watched in awe as Phillip tried his new feet for the first time.

"He picked it up real fast. And I'm sure he'll learn to balance again and be able to waddle around with all the other ducks," Phillip's owner Vicki Rabe-Harrison said.

Phillip will be taken to an animal sanctuary in Wisconsin.