Rescued Bald Eagle Has Died
Almost a week ago the city of Orlando was making headlines for the valiant efforts to save a bald eagle that was stuck in a storm drain.
The Audubon Center for Birds of Prey said the eagle sadly passed away on Monday night. Katie Warner, director of the Audubon Center, said veterinarians “made every attempt to save this beautiful bird,” but due to internal injuries the bird got worse on Sunday.
The female eagle was injured during a territorial fight and fell into a storm drain near Goldenrod and Curry Ford roads on Thursday.
The dominant eagle spread its wings and stood over the stuck eagle until Florida Fish and Wildlife arrived.
Traffic was delayed for about 90 minutes as Orange County Fire Rescue and FWC worked to retrieve the injured eagle after the dominant eagle flew away.
On Monday the eagle was moved from the Audubon Center to Winter Park Veterinary Hospital on Lee Road to provide intensive care.
The Audubon Center said due to puncture wounds the eagle had accumulated fluid around its heart and lung and had been treated for possible organ failure.
After her death the eagle was sent to the Southeastern Cooperative Disease Study at the University of Georgia for a necropsy.
The eagle’s remains will go to the National Eagle Repository and her feathers will be donated to Native American tribes.
The Bald Eagle
Once an endangered species, the bald eagle was from the USFWS endangered species list and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission imperiled species list in 2007 and 2008.
The bald eagle continues to be protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
In Florida the bald eagle population is the densest concentration of nesting bald eagles in the lower 48 states. There are an estimated 1,500 nesting pairs in the state.