Boys make attempt to save bald eagle
Bird survives only a few hours after being taken to rehabilitation centre
Two Pictou County boys tried their best to give a young bald eagle a second chance at life, but it was too weak to survive.
Helene Van Doninck, a veterinarian with the Cobequid Wildlife Rehabiliation Centre, said it received a juvenile bald eagle last week that was rescued by two boys in the Merigomish area.
Carolanne Mcneil said her son Kyle and his friend Anthony found the eagle on a wooded trail they use for dirt biking. As they approached the bird, they noticed it wasn’t moving so they carefully picked it up with their gloves and put it in a backpack. They zipped up the bag so its head was sticking out and one of the boys wore the backpack in the front, like a baby carrier, so that it wouldn’t be jostled around too much as they drove their dirt bikes home.
Mcneil said she contacted the Department of Natural Resources, who took the bald eagle they named Bandit to the Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre.
Van Doninck said the juvenile bald eagle was about three months old, but it only weighed about two kilograms – very small for an eagle that age.
It was immediately put on fluids and placed in a warm environment, but it only lived for a few hours after its arrival at the centre.
“He was in very hard shape,” she said. “It was dying. It was great these boys tried to help it, but it was really far gone.”
She said she didn’t see any injuries on the bird, but it was very emaciated. It is most likely the eagle took its first flight from the nest and got separated from its parents.
“Parents usually have two or three babies to take care of and it is hard for them to keep track of everyone. This could have been his first flight and he drifted far away from them. For some reason, he was separated from his parents.”
Van Doninck said bald eagles are still considered an endangered species, but the eagle population in Nova Scotia is deemed healthy.
“They are coming back and in good numbers, but they are still a bird we need to keep an eye on,” she said.
The centre has treated similar eagle cases in the past, but these juvenile birds were not as emaciated as Bandit so they responded well to treatment.
It is also treating eagles that have become ill because of lead poisoning or other physical injuries.
She said what the boys did showed incredible compassion for the wildlife. She added that if they were able to carry it home in a backpack, obviously its health was poor.
However, on the side of caution, she said if people do come across a wounded wild animal they should contact the Department of Natural Resources for assistance.
“Normally a bald eagle would be a safety concern because of its beak and talons, but this bird was in hard shape. Usually when it comes to owls, hawks or eagles, you should let someone grab it that has the proper gloves because they can be afraid and lash out.”