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Download When an injured Red-footed Falcon was brought into the Raptor Rescue Center at the Beijing International Fund for Animal Welfare three years ago, the dove-sized creature couldn't stand or hold onto branches with its talons. When the bird was diagnosed with a paralyzed left claw, almost all the veterinarians who specialized in Western medicine shook their heads and concluded that there was no suitable treatment. "The functions of a raptor's talons are beyond people's imagination - without them, it couldn't support itself because it wouldn't be able to compete for food with other birds of prey," said Li Ying, a vet and a member of the center. In terms of treatment, Li took a different view to her colleagues, and a few needles and herbal treatment saved the bird's life. Li took the falcon to Beijing University of Agriculture three times a week over a three-month period. There, during a typical 20-minute session, Li's teacher Chen Wu, who is also the deputy secretary-general of the Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine Society, inserted needles into four acupuncture points on the raptor's left talon. After the session, the falcon underwent physical rehabilitation treatment every second day, standing in water heated to 45 C and mixed with extract of saffron, a traditional herbal remedy known to invigorate the circulatory system. By the end of three months, the falcon was brimming with energy and was returned to the wild in 2010. | 
