SEQUIM — A young bald eagle the Agnew-based Northwest Raptor & Wildlife Center rescued after the bird was shot and seriously wounded Dec. 15 has taken another step toward recovery — breathing fresh air and basking in sunlight.
The bird was eating well and responding to stimuli after being placed in an outdoor cage, said Matthew Randazzo, wildlife center spokesman, on Friday.
“We are happy to report that the wounded bald eagle was able to breathe fresh air and enjoy the sunlight for the first time in two weeks,” Randazzo said.
After the juvenile male bald eagle’s wound had been cleaned, treated and bandaged, it was decided he was strong enough to be placed in an outdoor cage during sunny weather.
“We freshly rebandaged the wing and decided to try occasionally placing him outside in a wire cage in a secluded sunny spot,” said Jaye Moore, center director.
“Even when confined, eagles are much more comfortable psychologically outside than inside, and we saw an instant improvement in his alertness and mood once the sunlight hit his face and the fresh air filled his lungs.”
“He’s a fighter, and we’re hoping that being reminded of his ultimate goal — flying free in the wild — will encourage him to keep fighting.
“It’s also important to make sure he stays acclimated to being outside to ensure he can fully rehabilitate,” Moore said.
Randazzo said there is no way of knowing yet if the bird’s wing will heal naturally enough to allow him to fly again.
An X-ray must be taken of the fractured ulna bone in the left wing where a bullet fragment, possibly from a .22-caliber weapon, ripped into it.
“Until then, we don’t know if it will require surgery yet,” Randazzo said, adding that surgery would prolong the recovery time for the eagle.
Should an X-ray show that surgery is not needed, the bird would be moved from Greywolf Veterinary Hospital in Sequim to the center for rehabilitation.
When the wounded eagle was reported floundering in a wet field near Beaver, Moore phoned Brian Fairbanks, a Fish & Wildlife officer based in Forks, who found the eagle and brought it to the Sequim center the same day.
Veterinarian Maya Bewig at Greywolf Veterinary Hospital cared for the bird.
Being a young eagle — born last summer — the bird is fully brown and hasn’t reached full size.
Bald eagles do not fully develop the distinctive white plumage on their heads and tails until the fourth year.
The search for the person who illegally shot the bald eagle continues.
Bald eagles were removed from the federal list of threatened and endangered species in 2007 but remain protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, according to U.S. Department of Fish & Wildlife.
A first-offense violation of the act can result in a fine of $100,000, imprisonment for one year or both.
Penalties increase for additional offenses, and a second violation of the act is a felony.
Tips leading to the capture of the person who shot this eagle can be sent to the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, which is investigating the case, at 877-933-9847 or matthew@nwraptorcenter.com.
To watch a video of the eagle in treatment, visit http://tinyurl.com/olyeagle.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
