Image Credit: CFJC Today / Chad Klassen

By Jill Sperling

Injured Eagle

Injured eagle recovering at BC Wildlife Park

Aug 12, 2019 | 5:02 PM

KAMLOOPS — A young bald eagle is recovering at the BC Wildlife Park after injuring itself in one of its first attempts to fly.

According to Animal Care Manager at the Fawcett Family Wildlife Health Centre Tracy Reynolds, the female eagle from Salmon Arm is around 6-8 weeks old and had just left the nest.

As she was learning to fly she impaled her wing on a tree branch.

The health centre was called about the bird on July 30, but did not have the ability to save her from the 70 ft. tree.

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However, someone was able to climb the tree and retrieve the injured eagle.

“Overall the eagle was a healthy eagle, but she had, obviously, a very large injury and she had been hanging there for several hours,” Reynolds said. “So, she had a large, probably mandarin-orange sized hole through the wing. Luckily, it didn’t actually affect any of her bones or ligaments at this time that we can see.”

The hole has been stitched up and the eagle is currently on antibiotics.

She will have to relearn to fly, and is not expected to return to the wild for at least a month.

“She will be released back in the same area,” Reynolds said. “I would imagine her parents are still there, so I would hope if they do release her they would still be in the family group.”