On Wednesday, June 12, an adult Bald Eagle reportedly "fell from the sky" at a landfill in Campbell County. A conservation police officer was able to respond to the scene and transported the eagle to the Wildlife Center that same night.
Dr. Karra, the Center's veterinary intern, assessed the eagle in the transport crate before removing it; the eagle was lying down, motionless, and Dr. Karra first believed the eagle died during transport. When she picked up the eagle, it became alert and feisty and regurgitated a brown, smelly material. The bird was not stable, so Dr. Karra kept her examination brief; she was not able to feel any fractures or obvious injuries. Blood work revealed subclinical lead levels. Based on findings, Dr. Karra suspects that the eagle ingested some sort of toxin. She gave the bird fluids, a heart-stimulating medication, and set her up in an oxygen chamber to assist with the bird's respiration.
The eagle was banded and reported the following day; banding results revealed that the female eagle was banded in 2012 as a hatch-year bird in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.
The next day, the eagle was anesthetized for radiographs; no fractures were found, though the eagle's heartbeat was quite low.
By June 15, the eagle was much brighter; Dr. Karra reports that the eagle is eating on her own and appears increasingly feisty.
