Wildlife rehab center rescues two bald eagles in one day
Feb 2, 2022, 4:07 PM
This bald eagle appeared to have been hit by a car when it was taken to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah. Bald eagles often spend winters in northern Utah. The Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah has been issued an eviction notice of Sept. 6. The center says it needs more time to find a new location. Photo: WRCNU
OGDEN, Utah — A Utah wildlife rehab center says it received two bald eagles in critical condition on the same day this week.
The first of the two raptors, a four-to-five-year-old male, suffered injuries from a vehicle collision. According to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah, located in Ogden, he suffered head trauma. His legs were also paralyzed.
The agency described him as “too weak and stressed to even consider taking him to the vet for blood and radio-graphs” in a Facebook post.
By later in the day on Tuesday, WRCNU reported a much-improved condition. While the injured raptor still could not stand, he showed signs of improvement, including flaring his tail.
WRCNU said the second of the two injured bald eagles spent most of the afternoon and evening in a vet’s care, receiving blood tests and a CT scan. They were still evaluating its condition based on those scans. The agency did not specify what happened to the second bird.
Organization hopes to release eagles back into the wild
WRCNU hopes to release both bald eagles back into the wild, but notes they can’t guarantee that possibility.
Currently, no state or federal dollars help rescue injured eagles. Organizations like WRCNU depend on donations to treat and release wildlife.
According to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, February is the best time to view bald eagles in the wild in northern Utah. Typically, the animals winter here to avoid the harsher winters to our north.
Related:
- What to do if you find a baby bird out of the nest
- Birdwatchers’ paradise: winter brings bald eagles to Utah
