Last Friday, we shared this post about a young bald eagle who had taken refuge near our forestry operations after suffering a broken wing.
After our foresters alerted the authorities and the eagle was taken to a local veterinary hospital for first-aid care, he was flown by courier to a rehabilitation centre where specialists have confirmed that she suffered multiple fractures to his right wing. Unfortunately, according to the rehabilitation centre, the eagle will require orthopaedic surgery to amputate his wing. The procedure will likely take place next week. He will need to remain under the care of the specialists at the rehabilitation centre.
We also received a message yesterday from Dr. Marie-Noëlle Morin, veterinarian at Hôpital vétérinaire Manicouagan in Baie-Comeau, who was able to shed some light on what may have caused the eagle’s injury. According to Dr. Morin, the eagle contracted lead poisoning, a common occurrence among eagles because “they can be a bit vulture-like”. Lead poisoning often leads to neurological problems, which in turn makes the bird more susceptible to being hit by a car or flying into a wire. Dr. Morin also thanked our foresters for giving the eagle a chance at survival.
Although his wing fractures are quite serious, the good news is that his lead poisoning is just about cleared up. We’re certainly crossing our fingers that all goes well, and we’ll provide further updates as we receive them.