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The skeletal remains a giant bird which last walked the earth more than 500 years ago have been given a clean bill of health by museum curators in Leeds. The incredibly rare and complete bones of the heavy-footed moa, a huge flightless bird which once roamed parts of New Zealand, were carefully cleaned by experts at Leeds City Museum this week.

Clare Brown, Leeds Museums and Galleries' curator of natural sciences cleans the incredibly rare and complete bones of the heavy-footed moa, a huge flightless bird which once roamed parts of New Zealand. The bones are on display at Leeds City Museum.

Clare Brown, Leeds Museums and Galleries' curator of natural sciences cleans the incredibly rare and complete bones of the heavy-footed moa, a huge flightless bird which once roamed parts of New Zealand. The bones are on display at Leeds City Museum.

Clare Brown, Leeds Museums and Galleries' curator of natural sciences cleans the incredibly rare and complete bones of the heavy-footed moa, a huge flightless bird which once roamed parts of New Zealand. The bones are on display at Leeds City Museum.

Clare Brown, Leeds Museums and Galleries' curator of natural sciences cleans the incredibly rare and complete bones of the heavy-footed moa, a huge flightless bird which once roamed parts of New Zealand. The bones are on display at Leeds City Museum.

Clare Brown, Leeds Museums and Galleries' curator of natural sciences cleans the incredibly rare and complete bones of the heavy-footed moa, a huge flightless bird which once roamed parts of New Zealand. The bones are on display at Leeds City Museum.

Clare Brown, Leeds Museums and Galleries' curator of natural sciences cleans the incredibly rare and complete bones of the heavy-footed moa, a huge flightless bird which once roamed parts of New Zealand. The bones are on display at Leeds City Museum.

Clare Brown, Leeds Museums and Galleries' curator of natural sciences cleans the incredibly rare and complete bones of the heavy-footed moa, a huge flightless bird which once roamed parts of New Zealand. The bones are on display at Leeds City Museum.

Clare Brown, Leeds Museums and Galleries' curator of natural sciences cleans the incredibly rare and complete bones of the heavy-footed moa, a huge flightless bird which once roamed parts of New Zealand. The bones are on display at Leeds City Museum.

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