LUCAS COUNTY, Ohio — A bald eagle found dead Wednesday afternoon in eastern Lucas County was hit by a vehicle and has been deemed "roadkill," according to a state wildlife officer with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
The eagle was found dead in a yard on Jerusalem Road, which is about 11 miles east of Oregon.
ODNR, which took the body after responding to the scene at about 5:30 p.m., said the eagle likely caught fish in a nearby ravine and was hit by a passing vehicle when it flew across the road.
Bald eagles are a federally protected species under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
A state wildlife officer told WTOL 11 that a bald eagle dying like this "happens often, unfortunately."
According to ODNR's website, the animal was once an endangered species in the late 20th century but has since recovered and is classified as a common species by the state agency.
"Through the diligent efforts of wildlife biologists and a concerned public, the bald eagle population is coming back and is no longer on the federal endangered species list. Its federal and state status is now delisted but it is still in a federal monitoring stage for five years," ODNR's website states.
WARNING | A picture of the dead eagle is included below:
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