On Monday, animal control officers in Bloomfield, Connecticut, with the help of a Good Samaritan went above and beyond their usual duties, responding to a call for a creature in distress – a majestic bald eagle!
Residents in the area reported a struggling large bird had flown into a power line and had been electrocuted. Upon arrival, Animal Control Officers from Bloomfield and Windsor discovered the American symbol, in what appeared to be in critical condition.
Bald Eagle was found injured on St. Andrews Rd.
with the help of a Good Samaritan and the Windsor ACO we were able to rescue and transport to A Place Called Hope to be rehabbed.
The eagle was taken to A Place Called Hope in Killingworth for rehab. As of Tuesday evening, a representative stated the bird remained in critical condition. The 15-year-old female’s feet and right wing were compromised from the charge. She won’t be able to be returned to the wild and will need placement at a sanctuary.
In addition, the eagle has a low level of lead and evidence of pesticides having been absorbed in her body.
Bald Eagles are a protected species, and their recovery is vital to our local ecosystem.
the current affected her right wingtip, and the bones were blown apart in her ‘hand.’ The damage is no longer fresh and the bones that remain have fused incorrectly. This means she will never fly again….Her feet are badly abraded and swollen, and the bands that told us that she is a CT Bird banded in 2009 making her 15 years old, are too tight and constricting her legs, make her feet evem more compromised.
The rescue organization also reported she is underweight and currently too sore to stand. Her blood is watery thin, and did not coagulate on a slide, so it is also suspected there are anticoagulant rodenticides in her system. Her lead level is 5.7 ug/dl; zero is ideal.
This is not a happy story, and tragically not an uncommon one. Large birds do often get electrocuted and most either die or have some pretty extreme injuries. Time will tell on how this story will end, but the eagle will need placement for a captive life should she survive this ordeal.
That breaks our hearts…
A special thanks to her finder/rescuer Phillip Fortune, and his German Shepherd who spotted this girl in trouble.
This heartwarming rescue serves as a reminder that Animal Control officers play a crucial role not just for our domestic pets, but for all wildlife in need.
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