Over the past few weeks, Bald Eagle #20-3608 has been brighter and more alert and eating well.
The Veterinary staff had been doing physical therapy with this bird in the weeks following her surgery, and her wing has gained greater range of motion as a result. Unfortunately, vet staff noticed that this bird developed a small wound near the pin site on her wing. Vet staff is cleaning the wound daily, and has begun to wrap the bird’s wing to ensure this wound heals in a clean environment.
During the past two weeks, Bald Eagle #20-3699 has remained indoors in the Center's Hold area. While the bird has shown slight improvements in its appetite and physical strength, the veterinary staff continues to provide daily hands-on treatment. Each day the eagle receives pain and anti-inflammatory medications, the wounds on its right hock is cleaned and bandaged, and physical therapy is performed on the hind limbs.
The Great Blue Heron’s wing injury is continuing to heal, and veterinary staff is maintaining the bandage on his wing to keep the wound clean and let it close before allowing the bird to stretch out his wings.
Some minor abrasions were forming on the bird’s feet, likely caused by gaps in the rock substrate in the enclosure. Veterinary staff were able to fill those gaps, and expect the abrasions to resolve as a result.
On December 27, the rehabilitation team noted that Black Bear #20-3609 had a swollen left eye. The following day, the veterinary team darted and anesthetized the cub for an examination.
Double Orange Tags has been recovering in the Large Mammal Isolation enclosure after his surgery on Christmas Eve. Each day, the staff check the bear to ensure his sutures are intact, and to monitor for any redness or swelling. The bear is receiving a course of stool thinners to help ease the passage of his meals as he continues to heal. A fecal examination over the weekend did not reveal any parasites.
Since the bear was in-hand during darting and during his medical procedure, the veterinary team was able to weigh the bear cub; he weighed in at a hefty 30 kg!
