WHITEHOUSE, Ohio — A 27-year-old injured bald eagle that was first admitted to Nature’s Nursery on Feb. 15 is making slow progress toward healing. The staff is cautiously optimistic about its future.
The wildlife rehabilitation center received a call Feb. 10 about an eagle found in Point Place with an apparent injury. The call was made after typical operating hours, but special arrangements were made to pick up the bird.
Two Nature's Nursey animal technicians performed an initial exam and determined the eagle had a severe wrist injury. Further examination of X-rays showed the injury to be an open dislocation with an infection.
Once the infection is healed the injury could require some type of external fixative or an amputation. To add further complication, the eagle also has a heart condition that could make anesthesia for any necessary procedure extra risky.
"Having an eagle come in banded really helps us to learn more about its past," founding member Laura Zitzelberger said. "The band was traced and it was found that this eagle was originally banded in Ohio in its nest in 1995, making it 27 years old."
The average lifespan of a bald eagle is 20 years. Nature's Nursey will try to place the bird if it can't be released, but placing an eagle at this age can be difficult.
The eagle will undergo X-rays to determine the next course of action. The bird is healthy aside from the injury.
