The Minnesota Raptor Center announced Tuesday that a bald eagle rescued from the banks of the Mississippi River last week could not be saved.
“We are very sad to tell you that this adult female bald eagle could not be saved as its injuries were too severe,” wrote Jamie Clarke, a certified veterinary technician, in a statement to the Daily News.
According to the raptor center, the eagle was suffering from advanced starvation related to a severe wing injury that rendered the bird unable to fly.
“In cases like these, the kindest act to prevent future suffering is humane euthanasia,” Clarke wrote.
The eagle was rescued by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Ranger Ed Legacé, with the help of deputies Derek Heyer and John Hazelton from the Winona Sheriff’s Department, near Dresbach on Tuesday, March 26.
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According to Winona County Sheriff Ron Ganrude, the department was contacted about the eagle early that morning.
Legacé said the animal was found resting a rock along the shoreline when he arrived.
“You could tell it wasn’t well,” he said. “The left wing was severely injured.”
As Legacé slowly approached, the eagle flopped into the water in an attempt to escape capture, but was carried into reaching distance by the current.
“This bird was weak enough to just pick up,” he said.
The rescue was a first for Heyer.
“We’ve had maybe a few owls over the years that have been struck by cars, but this was the first bald eagle,” he said.
According to Legacé, raptor rescues can be extremely dangerous endeavors. Any rescue is carefully planned to minimize the risk to the bird and the rescuer.
To protect themselves from the raptor’s razor-sharp talons and beaks, rescuers don heavy leather gauntlets before attempting a rescue.
“No one should do a self rescue,” he said. “They are extremely strong and they are going to be scared.”
Legacé said the best thing to do is contact the wildlife service and report the injured
The eagle was transported to the University of Minnesota Raptor Center in Falcon Heights, Minn., for treatment, but the raptors’ injuries ultimately proved too severe.
Clarke thanked those who took the time to rescue and transport the raptor so treatment could be attempted.
Unfortunately these kinds of injuries aren’t uncommon, said Legacé, who has assisted with countless raptor rescues during his career with the wildlife service.
“There are always more eagles at migration time,” Legacé said. “With this rise in eagle activity the likelihood of injuries increases dramatically.”
The U of M Raptor Center treats more than 1,000 injured eagles, falcons, hawks, owls and other raptors each year. To learn more about the raptor center or to support its cause, visit www.raptor.umn.edu/get-involved.
Tobias Mann covers crime and government in Winona County. He can be reached at 507-453-3522 or at tobias.mann@winonadailynews.com