Mother, son rescue injured bald eagle
The juvenile bird is recovering, but could be released back into the wild thanks to fast action.
A mother and son from Exeter Township were taking an evening bike ride on the Thun Trail in Birdsboro on Sunday, Dec. 19, when they were startled by a large animal on the edge of the path.
“It scared the crap out of me,” admitted Lisa DaDamio.
The frightening encounter quickly turned into a rescue effort, however, as the bird — a juvenile bald eagle, they would come to learn — was visibly injured and unable to fly away.
They returned home and phoned Red Creek Wildlife Center in Schuylkill County for help but, ultimately, DaDamio’s 22-year-old son, Dylan, would have to intervene to get the bird to safety.
“The timing was so challenging because it was nighttime,” Lisa DaDamio said. “She (the eagle) could’ve frozen out there.
“We went back and got her, brought her home and put her in the garage overnight. They (Red Creek) said most people probably wouldn’t have approached it, but he didn’t even think about the huge talons. He was just concerned about getting her safe.”
What happened?
DaDamio didn’t get much sleep that night, she recalled, even though the eagle stayed quiet and calm in the garage.
The bird was bleeding and she could hear it moving around from inside the house.
Red Creek showed up at 7:30 the next morning and transported the eagle to a veterinarian in Philadelphia, where the bird underwent surgery for a fractured humerus, DaDamio said.
They suspected the bird — a protected species — had been shot, but was fortunate the bullet passed straight through.
Estimates put the otherwise healthy, well-nourished eagle at around twoand-a-half years old based on its size and coloring.
What’s next?
As of Wednesday, the bald eagle was making its third visit to the vet, but the surgery was a success and workers at Red Creek were optimistic it will be released back into the wild after a “very long recovery.”
“So far, it looks good,” said Greg Nason, a wildlife rehabilitator at Red Creek Wildlife Center.
“She’ll have to stay inside for quite some time before the attachment on the wing that stabilizes the bone is taken off. Once that’s removed, it’s still inside on cage rest, then into another enclosure for more muscle stretching, then flight. Weather is a factor, too, so at least a couple months.”
Red Creek Wildlife Center is currently accepting donations for the eagle on its Facebook page at business.facebook.com/ redcreekwildlife to help cover medical expenses and transportation to and from the vet.
General donations can also be made at redcreekwildlifecenter.com.
How the rescue happened
Typically, Red Creek receives tips about injured animals from the Pennsylvania Game Commission, but due to the hour and temperature, DaDamio called the nonprofit directly.
“They’re so informative, so helpful,” DaDamio said. “No story or report is too minimal for them to provide information and direction.”
She said Red Creek instructed her and her son to take a large, empty trash can for transport, along with a flat board, a blanket and a strap.
Dylan donned thick shrubbery gloves and wrapped the blanket around the bird’s wings, then secured her to the trash can with the board and strap — she even allowed him to stroke the top of her head.
They were also told not to feed the bird, since they weren’t yet sure what it was.
It was quite the surprise when they discovered it was a bald eagle.
“We thought maybe it was a hawk, “DaDamio said. “It was dark out, and it takes four years for bald eagles to develop their full coloring, so she does look like a hawk.
“But then a wildlife photographer told me, ‘You don’t have a hawk. You have a juvenile bald eagle!’ ”
A Christmas miracle?
With population numbers climbing, encountering a bald eagle in the wild in Berks County isn’t quite as rare as it was years ago, said Nason.
Still, for the DaDamios, who enjoy spending time in nature with their dog, Duke, it felt special.
It was even more ironic, DaDamio said, because they had never done that particular ride before, taking the Thun Trail from Birdsboro to Reading and back.
They found the injured eagle just before finishing.
After some debate between mother and son over the bird’s name, Lisa settled on Merry Angel — pronounced Mary, but spelled in keeping with the holiday season.
She stressed how proud she was of Dylan’s bravery during the rescue, but also was quick to heap praise on Red Creek Wildlife Center and the veterinarians.
“I was amazed that, for one bird, they did this surgery,” DaDamio said. “They’re the true heroes. It’s great recognition for them and they deserve donations.”
“She’ll have to stay inside for quite some time before the attachment on the wing that stabilizes the bone is taken off. Once that’s removed, it’s still inside on cage rest, then into another enclosure for more muscle stretching, then flight. Weather is a factor, too, so at least a couple months.” — Greg Nason, a wildlife rehabilitator at Red Creek Wildlife Center