Rescuers capture bald eagle to give it second chance at life: 'What would have been a lethal injury'
Thanks to the combined efforts of two animal welfare groups in Washington, a critically injured bald eagle was returned to the wild after a lengthy rehabilitation process.
KATU reported that the stricken bird was found unable to fly around the Tacoma waterfront.
It was safely captured by community members, who contacted Featherhaven, a local nonprofit that helps injured and orphaned birds. Its members transported the eagle to the PAWS Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.
The article noted that the eagle was in some distress with serious injuries, including a spinal fracture that could have turned fatal if the bird hadn't been taken in.
Fortunately, after 34 days of veterinary treatment, the eagle had recovered well enough to return to the wild.
A PAWS wildlife biologist, Anthony Denice, told the outlet the bird was doing well after its ordeal: "Now he's flying around the bay and engaging other eagles in his natural habitat this morning, barely a month after what would have been a lethal injury."
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The bald eagle population in Washington, like in other states, has recovered remarkably well after facing a serious threat to its survival in the immediate post-World War II years.
Contamination of water sources by runoff from chemical pesticides poisoned the eagle's primary food source and caused its numbers to dwindle to just a few hundred breeding pairs nationwide. Thankfully, a ban on DDT and conservation efforts led to a dramatic recovery.
Eagles are now widely distributed across the Evergreen State and have been delisted as an endangered species. Of course, other threats remain, and it's important not to get complacent with conservation efforts.
This story highlights the vital work that takes place at the local level and emphasizes the importance of providing financial support to such groups. It's also a reminder that rehabilitation is a viable conservation strategy; studies have shown that birds returning to the wild after human intervention do just fine in the long run.
Raptors such as the bald eagle aren't just a potent national symbol; they fulfill an essential role in the ecosystem as apex predators and scavengers.
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Rescuers capture bald eagle to give it second chance at life: 'What would have been a lethal injury' first appeared on The Cool Down.
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