Anchorage An American bald eagle is able to hold its head high again after being nursed back to health by a dentist.

The bird of prey was taken to the Bird Treatment and Learning Centre in Anchorage after being found in a weakened condition with its beak damaged by a length of fishing line wrapped around it.

Kirk Johnson, a local dentist, used poster putty and a temporary crown of the sort normally fitted in his human patients — before colouring the finished product with a yellow highlighter to give it a nearly natural appearance.