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Rare Bald Eagle Rescued in Atlanta Area on the Road to Recovery

This bald eagle was rescued in Panola State Park in the Atlanta area after being found with a broken wing and an injured eye.

Wildlife officials recovered the bird in the state park, and now, the bird is recovering at AWARE Wildlife Center in DeKalb County. The center will care for the bird for a while. The bird won’t be released back into the wild because of its injured condition. AWARE will help find him a home at a bird sanctuary, or perhaps an educational center.

“When we found him, it twisted around 360 degrees,” Scott Lange, executive director, said of the bird’s wing. “So we had to turn the wing around to get it back into the right position.”

Lange said all rescues, regardless of the animal, are crucial rescue operations. However, he did admit that this is the center’s first bald eagle since 2013, when they took one in as a patient.

“It’s one of the only times as humans we have pushed an animal almost to extinction, but then able to bring them back,” Marjan Ghadrdan, director of animal care, said. “So that’s a huge success story to me, so that makes it special.”

Ghadrdan continued: “At first we were worried he would lose the wing. He’s not out of the woods yet, but right now it’s all going really well.”

Volunteers at AWARE are always welcome by accessing its website: AWAREwildlife.org.

Wisconsin Bald Eagle Dies in Surgery After Being Shot

Unfortunately, a Wisconsin bald eagle wasn’t able to be saved, unlike the bird in Atlanta. In a recent and tragic incident, a bald eagle was found shot on December 7.

The eagle died during an emergency surgery, according to the Wisconsin Humane Society.

According to the society, the bald eagle actually received a successful round of surgery on Thursday.

Although the bald eagle survived its first round of surgeries on Thursday, sadly, it went into cardiac arrest on Monday night. Employees at the Humane Society Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Milwaukee said the animal required “a complex and specialized surgery to stabilize his fracture and further treat his injuries.”

“Despite lifesaving efforts, including CPR, he was unable to be resuscitated,” the Humane Society said about the bird’s heartbreaking passing. “We are mourning the loss of this eagle alongside our community.”

Bald eagles are federally protected birds, and the punishment for shooting a bald eagle can be severe. According to the American Eagle Foundation, penalties could be as severe as a five-year prison sentence and a $250,000 fine if convicted of a felony.

Fines can double for organizations who commit the act. Moreover, people who provide information leading to arrests and conviction can be rewarded. However, the organization doesn’t specifically enumerate what those rewards are.