TRUCKEE, Calif. (KCRA) — A bald eagle discovered unable to fly in the Truckee area is now receiving care at Gold Country Wildlife Rescue after hikers found it on the ground.
Two hikers spotted the bald eagle Sunday evening in the Sawtooth Recreation Area near Truckee. One of the hikers told KCRA 3 the bird couldn’t get off the ground and wasn’t able to fly away.
They called for help and waited nearby until rescuers arrived. Placer County Animal Services responded, along with Ben Nuckolls from California Wildlife Encounters with little daylight left.
Both were armed with nets, but the bald eagle proved difficult to catch. While it couldn’t fly, it could still run.
In a matter of minutes, they managed to catch the bird and transport it to Gold Country Wildlife Rescue in Auburn.
“It’s not a very common patient for us,” said Christy Berger with Gold Country Wildlife Rescue.
Berger said they are working with Bird of Prey Health Group specialists to determine why the eagle can’t fly. They didn’t find any fractures or major physical trauma.
“His body condition is pretty good. He’s not super skinny or anything like that. No physical trauma that we can tell,” Berger said.
She said they are running tests, continuing supportive care, and waiting on blood work to rule out toxins or illness.
“He’s getting some testing for any toxicity,” Berger said. “They can get lead poisoning and it could be a rodenticide issue. So regardless of what it is, there are different treatments that can be provided.”
The goal is to get the bald eagle back into the wild and into the skies. Once it is rehabilitated, Gold Country Wildlife Rescue says the eagle will eventually be released back to the area where it was found, where it knows the environment.
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